Re: [JPP-Devel] TaskFrame and WorkbenchContext source code files for review before commit.

[Andreas S. <sc...@la...>]

Larry Becker wrote:

Hi,

> >As long as everyone else has to play by the same rules. If I'm getting
> >special treatment I should at least know the reason. (I'll gladly
> >accept suggestions or recommendations that deal with technical issues
> >in my source code.)
> 
> As you know, I never mince words, so I would like to acknowledge that your
> programming skills have come a long way since you first started working on
> OJ (in 2005?). I haven't looked at your recent TaskFrame posts in detail,
> but they seem logical on the surface.  It is not your changes that I object
> to, but the reason for them.  For me, there are only a few reasons for
> changing code in a legacy project: to fix a bug, or to add needed
> functionality.  On very rare occasions, it may be necessary to modify the
> core architecture such as was done with Threads, the rendering system, or
> Paul's recent Open dialog changes.  Ideally, these changes should be done by
> a programmer with experience in this area.  Even so, they almost always turn
> out to have unintended consequences.
> 
> I guess I don't like the precedent of randomly modifying the core Classes
> just because they don't seem optimal.   I could do that too, but I resist
> the temptation because I don't know where it would end.  In fact I have made
> dozens of experimental modifications to core classes that I never proposed
> to OJ because I can't prove that they actually improve speed, reliability,
> or memory utilization, or that anyone would ever use them.
> 
> So I don't like to support core Class changes, but exceptions should be made
> if someone feels strongly about them.  So do you feel strongly that these
> changes will improve reliability and be worth the possible unintended side
> effects?  If the answer is yes, then I think we owe it to you to support
> them.

I can only second what you wrote, as it's exactly how I feel.

Best regards, Andreas
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