[HN Gopher] How to write software than will keep working for dec...
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       How to write software than will keep working for decades without
       problems
        
       Author : kaeruct
       Score  : 22 points
       Date   : 2022-01-18 16:03 UTC (6 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (unixsheikh.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (unixsheikh.com)
        
       | mikewarot wrote:
       | I wrote a system in the 1980s in Turbo Pascal under MS-DOS to
       | talk to a bunch of hardware, and keep a display updated. It did
       | large water meter calibrations, for city size meters, 6" and up.
       | 
       | That software survived Y2k with no incident, the only reason I
       | heard about it was in 2007 when one of the cards was replaced, it
       | failed to restart.
       | 
       | It turns out they had the two cables swapped. As far as I know
       | it's still going strong.
       | 
       | I followed most of the rules detailed in the article, it was
       | simple, did the one thing (including a multitasking library I
       | wrote), and just kept doing it.
        
       | commandlinefan wrote:
       | > when you're dealing with a team of developers because then
       | everyone will know that framework and understand the software
       | 
       | I can't name a framework I've ever worked with that _anybody_
       | actually understood.
        
         | carlmr wrote:
         | >Most frameworks nowadays has [sic] become so stupidly complex
         | that they almost require more time to understand that the
         | underlying programming language.
         | 
         | I mean they do mention that just after, and I agree. Often the
         | frameworks take away a few hours of boilerplate work in the
         | beginning in favor of weeks and months of learning and issues.
        
       | xupybd wrote:
       | "It's easy and quick to make junk! Quality requires time and
       | deliberation."
       | 
       | This is the cause of most of the problems I have seen. Businesses
       | want quick over quality. Sometimes this is the right business
       | decision.
        
         | SkyPuncher wrote:
         | In the startup world, this is often the right decision because
         | businesses don't even know if they're making a valuable product
         | yet.
         | 
         | * Ship quick
         | 
         | * Validate
         | 
         | * Build for the long term
        
           | commandlinefan wrote:
           | Except that it's often:                 1. Ship quick
           | 2. Return to step 1
        
       | dmitrygr wrote:
       | Write it in C and make sure it compiles on a POSIX system. Next
       | question.
       | 
       | Evidence: most of you are running such software, the internet
       | infra depends on it, etc...
        
       | jmnicolas wrote:
       | The problem by not using a framework is that you're going to
       | reinvent one. Will it be better than what's available depends on
       | your talents but one thing is sure: you're going to have to
       | maintain it and won't have as many eyes on it.
       | 
       | I guess your mileage may vary so it's a case by case decision.
        
         | slyall wrote:
         | You don't have to invent a new framework. You just need enough
         | for one application. Think of the simple MVP that every
         | framework is on their first release.
        
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       (page generated 2022-01-18 23:02 UTC)