Comments on: A Realization on Maintainability http://enfranchisedmind.com/blog/posts/a-realization-on-maintainability/ programming, politics, & other religious issues Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:16:00 +0000 hourly 1 By: Ruby is the Future | Enfranchised Mind http://enfranchisedmind.com/blog/posts/a-realization-on-maintainability/#comment-34315 Ruby is the Future | Enfranchised Mind Wed, 01 Apr 2009 18:16:37 +0000 http://enfranchisedmind.com/blog/?p=647#comment-34315 [...] I was) have against Ruby is that it is basically unmaintainable over the long haul. I’ve admitted before that there’s less trouble on that front in Ruby than there was back in Perl, but I want to [...] [...] I was) have against Ruby is that it is basically unmaintainable over the long haul. I’ve admitted before that there’s less trouble on that front in Ruby than there was back in Perl, but I want to [...]

]]> By: Robert Fischer http://enfranchisedmind.com/blog/posts/a-realization-on-maintainability/#comment-33279 Robert Fischer Fri, 23 May 2008 19:41:48 +0000 http://enfranchisedmind.com/blog/?p=647#comment-33279 I'd be interested to hear more about how large, reasonably maintainable dynamic language applications are written: I've not seen one. Even moderately sized Ruby on Rails sites become difficult to manage, doubly-so when you start dealing with plug-ins and libraries. One thing I know is that I'm working on CocanWiki, which has a lot of code that's hard to read and hard to work with. If it was dynamic code (or even Java), I'd be calling rewrite -- but, thanks to Ocaml's typing system, I've been able to refactor and extend it. So I'm pretty impressed with implied static typing right now. I’d be interested to hear more about how large, reasonably maintainable dynamic language applications are written: I’ve not seen one. Even moderately sized Ruby on Rails sites become difficult to manage, doubly-so when you start dealing with plug-ins and libraries.

One thing I know is that I’m working on CocanWiki, which has a lot of code that’s hard to read and hard to work with. If it was dynamic code (or even Java), I’d be calling rewrite — but, thanks to Ocaml’s typing system, I’ve been able to refactor and extend it. So I’m pretty impressed with implied static typing right now.

]]> By: Marc http://enfranchisedmind.com/blog/posts/a-realization-on-maintainability/#comment-33278 Marc Fri, 23 May 2008 19:13:03 +0000 http://enfranchisedmind.com/blog/?p=647#comment-33278 A lot of folks tout the maintainability of strictly typed code over dynamic code but I'm not convinced it's a real problem. I think it's a problem of people not knowing how to write maintainable dynamic code. I can't give any definitive proof of this other than to say that the Smalltalkers of the world seemed to have figured this out. There's some huge Smalltalk systems out there (believe it or not) and I think the maintainability comes from the culture of how they write their dynamic code. At least that's what my Smalltalk buddy tells me. :) Perl doesn't seem to have a culture other than to crank out as much function in as little of space as possible. Lastly, if you want to try a Java web framework that requires ZERO XML config, look at Wicket. I warn you though, it's not like any other Java web framework but it's worth the effort to learn because overall it's pretty damn brilliant. A lot of folks tout the maintainability of strictly typed code over dynamic code but I’m not convinced it’s a real problem. I think it’s a problem of people not knowing how to write maintainable dynamic code. I can’t give any definitive proof of this other than to say that the Smalltalkers of the world seemed to have figured this out. There’s some huge Smalltalk systems out there (believe it or not) and I think the maintainability comes from the culture of how they write their dynamic code. At least that’s what my Smalltalk buddy tells me. :) Perl doesn’t seem to have a culture other than to crank out as much function in as little of space as possible.

Lastly, if you want to try a Java web framework that requires ZERO XML config, look at Wicket. I warn you though, it’s not like any other Java web framework but it’s worth the effort to learn because overall it’s pretty damn brilliant.

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