who wrote wrote this C program?
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Several years ago I was asked to evaluate a C program. The question was: can we fix it, or do we need to rewrite it? What the program did and for whom doesn't matter, other than it should have been a straightforward business application: user-interface screens and database reads and updates. The client was concerned that the program - used daily by several people for real work - was "flaky" and would often lock up or BSOD after 15-20 minutes. So I started looking at the code...and found several interesting things:
- the program was using invisible pop-up windows as temporary data buffers to implement wizard-like operations in the user-interface, and never deallocating them.
- every variable was global
- there were no data structures anywhere for anything
- there were no functions other than those required by the GUI
- several functions were over 75 pages long - that's about 4500 lines of code in a single function
- the level of code redundancy was incredible; it was common to see the same 5-10 lines of code repeated several dozen times within the same function
Naturally, my recommendation was that the system be rewritten, preferably in an object-oriented language [which we did, but that was a Success Story, not a Horror Story]. My curiosity could not be held back, I had to know who had written this program... This program was written by a COBOL programmer. It was her first C program, and her first GUI program. I asked what happened to her. They said she got a job with a larger firm in the same industry just down the street - teaching C programming!
Best regards, Steven A. Lowe CEO, Innovator LLC www.nov8r.com
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Several years ago I was asked to evaluate a C program. The question was: can we fix it, or do we need to rewrite it? What the program did and for whom doesn't matter, other than it should have been a straightforward business application: user-interface screens and database reads and updates. The client was concerned that the program - used daily by several people for real work - was "flaky" and would often lock up or BSOD after 15-20 minutes. So I started looking at the code...and found several interesting things:
- the program was using invisible pop-up windows as temporary data buffers to implement wizard-like operations in the user-interface, and never deallocating them.
- every variable was global
- there were no data structures anywhere for anything
- there were no functions other than those required by the GUI
- several functions were over 75 pages long - that's about 4500 lines of code in a single function
- the level of code redundancy was incredible; it was common to see the same 5-10 lines of code repeated several dozen times within the same function
Naturally, my recommendation was that the system be rewritten, preferably in an object-oriented language [which we did, but that was a Success Story, not a Horror Story]. My curiosity could not be held back, I had to know who had written this program... This program was written by a COBOL programmer. It was her first C program, and her first GUI program. I asked what happened to her. They said she got a job with a larger firm in the same industry just down the street - teaching C programming!
Best regards, Steven A. Lowe CEO, Innovator LLC www.nov8r.com
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Several years ago I was asked to evaluate a C program. The question was: can we fix it, or do we need to rewrite it? What the program did and for whom doesn't matter, other than it should have been a straightforward business application: user-interface screens and database reads and updates. The client was concerned that the program - used daily by several people for real work - was "flaky" and would often lock up or BSOD after 15-20 minutes. So I started looking at the code...and found several interesting things:
- the program was using invisible pop-up windows as temporary data buffers to implement wizard-like operations in the user-interface, and never deallocating them.
- every variable was global
- there were no data structures anywhere for anything
- there were no functions other than those required by the GUI
- several functions were over 75 pages long - that's about 4500 lines of code in a single function
- the level of code redundancy was incredible; it was common to see the same 5-10 lines of code repeated several dozen times within the same function
Naturally, my recommendation was that the system be rewritten, preferably in an object-oriented language [which we did, but that was a Success Story, not a Horror Story]. My curiosity could not be held back, I had to know who had written this program... This program was written by a COBOL programmer. It was her first C program, and her first GUI program. I asked what happened to her. They said she got a job with a larger firm in the same industry just down the street - teaching C programming!
Best regards, Steven A. Lowe CEO, Innovator LLC www.nov8r.com
Steven A. Lowe wrote:
the program was using invisible pop-up windows as temporary data buffers to implement wizard-like operations in the user-interface, and never deallocating them.
Ahead of its time: garbage collection without the collection!
Steven A. Lowe wrote:
every variable was global
But think of all the stack space you have!
Steven A. Lowe wrote:
there were no data structures anywhere for anything
Or you could think of it as a data structure everywhere for everything.
Steven A. Lowe wrote:
there were no functions other than those required by the GUI
Again, think of the saved stack space!
Steven A. Lowe wrote:
several functions were over 75 pages long - that's about 4500 lines of code in a single function
But I bet Intellisense was nice and responsive.
Steven A. Lowe wrote:
the level of code redundancy was incredible; it was common to see the same 5-10 lines of code repeated several dozen times within the same function
Man, haven't you heard of code reuse??
Faith is a fine invention For gentlemen who see; But microscopes are prudent In an emergency! -Emily Dickinson
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Steven A. Lowe wrote:
the program was using invisible pop-up windows as temporary data buffers to implement wizard-like operations in the user-interface, and never deallocating them.
Ahead of its time: garbage collection without the collection!
Steven A. Lowe wrote:
every variable was global
But think of all the stack space you have!
Steven A. Lowe wrote:
there were no data structures anywhere for anything
Or you could think of it as a data structure everywhere for everything.
Steven A. Lowe wrote:
there were no functions other than those required by the GUI
Again, think of the saved stack space!
Steven A. Lowe wrote:
several functions were over 75 pages long - that's about 4500 lines of code in a single function
But I bet Intellisense was nice and responsive.
Steven A. Lowe wrote:
the level of code redundancy was incredible; it was common to see the same 5-10 lines of code repeated several dozen times within the same function
Man, haven't you heard of code reuse??
Faith is a fine invention For gentlemen who see; But microscopes are prudent In an emergency! -Emily Dickinson
David Kentley wrote:
Ahead of its time: garbage collection without the collection!
5! :laugh:
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Steven A. Lowe wrote:
the program was using invisible pop-up windows as temporary data buffers to implement wizard-like operations in the user-interface, and never deallocating them.
Ahead of its time: garbage collection without the collection!
Steven A. Lowe wrote:
every variable was global
But think of all the stack space you have!
Steven A. Lowe wrote:
there were no data structures anywhere for anything
Or you could think of it as a data structure everywhere for everything.
Steven A. Lowe wrote:
there were no functions other than those required by the GUI
Again, think of the saved stack space!
Steven A. Lowe wrote:
several functions were over 75 pages long - that's about 4500 lines of code in a single function
But I bet Intellisense was nice and responsive.
Steven A. Lowe wrote:
the level of code redundancy was incredible; it was common to see the same 5-10 lines of code repeated several dozen times within the same function
Man, haven't you heard of code reuse??
Faith is a fine invention For gentlemen who see; But microscopes are prudent In an emergency! -Emily Dickinson
David Kentley wrote:
Steven A. Lowe wrote: the level of code redundancy was incredible; it was common to see the same 5-10 lines of code repeated several dozen times within the same function Man, haven't you heard of code re
fuse??fixed that for you.
Today's lesson is brought to you by the word "niggardly". Remember kids, don't attribute to racism what can be explained by Scandinavian language roots. -- Robert Royall
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Several years ago I was asked to evaluate a C program. The question was: can we fix it, or do we need to rewrite it? What the program did and for whom doesn't matter, other than it should have been a straightforward business application: user-interface screens and database reads and updates. The client was concerned that the program - used daily by several people for real work - was "flaky" and would often lock up or BSOD after 15-20 minutes. So I started looking at the code...and found several interesting things:
- the program was using invisible pop-up windows as temporary data buffers to implement wizard-like operations in the user-interface, and never deallocating them.
- every variable was global
- there were no data structures anywhere for anything
- there were no functions other than those required by the GUI
- several functions were over 75 pages long - that's about 4500 lines of code in a single function
- the level of code redundancy was incredible; it was common to see the same 5-10 lines of code repeated several dozen times within the same function
Naturally, my recommendation was that the system be rewritten, preferably in an object-oriented language [which we did, but that was a Success Story, not a Horror Story]. My curiosity could not be held back, I had to know who had written this program... This program was written by a COBOL programmer. It was her first C program, and her first GUI program. I asked what happened to her. They said she got a job with a larger firm in the same industry just down the street - teaching C programming!
Best regards, Steven A. Lowe CEO, Innovator LLC www.nov8r.com
Steven A. Lowe wrote:
I asked what happened to her. They said she got a job with a larger firm in the same industry just down the street - teaching C programming!
It is a shame X| My first C class was thought by a guy who is good at COBOL but knows very little C. I made it through the class thinking, I am C Master. It did not occur to me how little I Knew until I took Data Structures with the toughest instructor in my life. I broke down and admitted I didn't knew C. He said, if you are willing to put up the time and effort I will help you. After painful semester, I learned C and felt very grateful. Because of that lesson I am a better developer now. :cool:
Yusuf
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Several years ago I was asked to evaluate a C program. The question was: can we fix it, or do we need to rewrite it? What the program did and for whom doesn't matter, other than it should have been a straightforward business application: user-interface screens and database reads and updates. The client was concerned that the program - used daily by several people for real work - was "flaky" and would often lock up or BSOD after 15-20 minutes. So I started looking at the code...and found several interesting things:
- the program was using invisible pop-up windows as temporary data buffers to implement wizard-like operations in the user-interface, and never deallocating them.
- every variable was global
- there were no data structures anywhere for anything
- there were no functions other than those required by the GUI
- several functions were over 75 pages long - that's about 4500 lines of code in a single function
- the level of code redundancy was incredible; it was common to see the same 5-10 lines of code repeated several dozen times within the same function
Naturally, my recommendation was that the system be rewritten, preferably in an object-oriented language [which we did, but that was a Success Story, not a Horror Story]. My curiosity could not be held back, I had to know who had written this program... This program was written by a COBOL programmer. It was her first C program, and her first GUI program. I asked what happened to her. They said she got a job with a larger firm in the same industry just down the street - teaching C programming!
Best regards, Steven A. Lowe CEO, Innovator LLC www.nov8r.com
Steven A. Lowe wrote:
several functions were over 75 pages long - that's about 4500 lines of code in a single function
That is just flat out a horror itself.
Steven A. Lowe wrote:
asked what happened to her. They said she got a job with a larger firm in the same industry just down the street - teaching C programming!
That's even scarier.
"The clue train passed his station without stopping." - John Simmons / outlaw programmer "Real programmers just throw a bunch of 1s and 0s at the computer to see what sticks" - Pete O'Hanlon "Not only do you continue to babble nonsense, you can't even correctly remember the nonsense you babbled just minutes ago." - Rob Graham
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Steven A. Lowe wrote:
I asked what happened to her. They said she got a job with a larger firm in the same industry just down the street - teaching C programming!
It is a shame X| My first C class was thought by a guy who is good at COBOL but knows very little C. I made it through the class thinking, I am C Master. It did not occur to me how little I Knew until I took Data Structures with the toughest instructor in my life. I broke down and admitted I didn't knew C. He said, if you are willing to put up the time and effort I will help you. After painful semester, I learned C and felt very grateful. Because of that lesson I am a better developer now. :cool:
Yusuf
how about a C++ class taught by an accountant (by profession) handing out code examples that were not syntax correct? Sorry to say, yes this is a true story. Good thing I was already working w/ C++
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You know, those who can't code, manage. Those who can't manage... you know where they end up at.. :)
:) You are right, those who cant code Manage :),(She) is now a teacher:)
Vuyiswa Maseko, Sorrow is Better than Laughter, it may Sadden your Face, but It sharpens your Understanding VB.NET/SQL7/2000/2005 http://vuyiswamb.007ihost.com http://Ecadre.007ihost.com vuyiswam@tshwane.gov.za
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Steven A. Lowe wrote:
I asked what happened to her. They said she got a job with a larger firm in the same industry just down the street - teaching C programming!
It is a shame X| My first C class was thought by a guy who is good at COBOL but knows very little C. I made it through the class thinking, I am C Master. It did not occur to me how little I Knew until I took Data Structures with the toughest instructor in my life. I broke down and admitted I didn't knew C. He said, if you are willing to put up the time and effort I will help you. After painful semester, I learned C and felt very grateful. Because of that lesson I am a better developer now. :cool:
Yusuf