Code Decay

Miscellaneous Topics
#1

Here is a scenario I have just experienced:

Write a piece of code. Test that it works in a few cases. Decide it’s fine and any problems will come out in final testing.

Go on leave for a week.

Come back to work and find a testing report that states there is a problem with the code in question. When I look at the source I can see immediately a bug which means that not only does it not work, there is no way it ever could have.

Does anyone else suffer from this phenomenon where untouched code appears to decay if you leave it alone? Does source-code have a half-life? Where do the other commands and characters go?

#2

;D

Yes, this is a very common phenomenon.

#3

You can extend the half-life of source code by the addition of comments and documentation, but anything not touched for six months will become unusuable - no amount of supplementary diagrams or presentations will get you through that barrier.

#4

The converse is that anything continually touched for a year or two will become unusable :slight_smile:

if you have control over your environment and proper back-ups then code should not deteriorate if it isn’t used. back when I was in college the CPSR newsletter had this to say (and I’ve always liked the quote"

“The difference between programs and elevators is that elevators break down if they aren’t maintained while programs break down if they are.”

#5

Welcome to my hell… a 33 million line vertical app that is 35 years old…

:frowning: :-[ :-X :-/

#6

[quote] Where do the other commands and characters go?
[/quote]
I don’t know, but its probably the same place all my lost packets end up. They’re probably piling up around leaky servers all around the world…

#7

They hang out in the back streets, along with my odd socks, plotting world domination.

Cas :slight_smile:

#8

Damn it! They’re drawing out those plans with all my lost biros!