Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site rtp47.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!mcnc!rti-sel!rtp47!throopw From: throopw@rtp47.UUCP (Wayne Throop) Newsgroups: net.lang.c Subject: portability & maintainability Message-ID: <197@rtp47.UUCP> Date: Mon, 23-Sep-85 12:34:58 EDT Article-I.D.: rtp47.197 Posted: Mon Sep 23 12:34:58 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 25-Sep-85 03:27:09 EDT References: <1390@brl-tgr.ARPA> <2778@sun.uucp> <519@lasspvax.UUCP> <2803@sun.uucp> <699@othervax.UUCP> Organization: Data General, RTP, NC Lines: 31 > It is intersting to note in the discussions re short, longs etc. that > portability seems to be regarded as a major reason-d'etre for much > coding activity. > > All very well if portability can become ingrained in our way of thinking > just as block-structuring has now become (to some), but it should be noted > that in this big bad commercial world we (some of us) live in, very few > software projects can afford to schedule "extra" time for designing in, and > testing, the portability of code. Good point. But it is worth noting that almost all the things that enhance portability also enhance maintainability. Thus, the arguments about "you should use short/long/whatever in way x because it will help you in porting" are alwo valid when cast as "you should use short/long/whatever in way x because - it will help you when the compiler changes it's mind about something you took for granted - you will be able to change *your* mind about representations later - etc. etc. So, even though many folks tend to focus on porting as the reason to go for data-hiding, modularity, abstraction, and so on, these same things are important even when the code is *never* to be ported, simply because of improved maintainability. Sadly, this is easy to overlook, since it it trades some effort *now* for more effort *later*. Many end up going for the quick fix, and pay heavily for it when the bill comes due. -- Wayne Throop at Data General, RTP, NC!mcnc!rti-sel!rtp47!throopw