[lug] Software Projects as well....

[D. Stimits]

"Dhruva B. Reddy" wrote:
> 
> On Fri, Oct 12, 2001 at 01:36:42PM -0600, quoth Alan Robertson:
> > "Scott A. Herod" wrote:
> > >
> > [snip]
> >
> > > Recently, I
> > > looked into a couple of big (pseudo-)open-source projects, Mozilla and
> > > OpenOffice, as well as learning to use VC++ with MS's COM specification.
> > >
> > > The code and design of these projects make me cringe in horror.
> > > ( So does perl but that's a separate issue. )  Are these things the
> > > future of software development or an aberration?
> >
> > They were designed and written as *commercial* products.  Both were
> > "open-sourced" as an afterthought.  It's not really fair to call them open
> > source projects.  I have a similar reaction to reading the code in FailSafe
> > -- for the same reason.
> > [snip]
> 
> Actually, it is my understanding that the Mozilla developers took one look at
> the Netscape Communicator code, gasped in horror (or doubled over with
> laughter, I'm not sure which), and proceeded to rewrite from scratch.  If this
> is not true, why has it taken so long for the product to come to fruition?
> 
> I am a relative newcomer to software development (4 years experience), and I
> was taught that forging ahead without a good design is a recipe for disaster.
> Indeed, in the commercial (OK, consulting) world I have seen both sides of the
> coin, and appreciate the importance of a well documented design that has the
> buy-in of everyone on he team.  While even this tends to break down over time,
> the product is *so* much easier to maintain, and the code is a source of pride.
> 
> I don't see this attitude so much in open-source projects.  In fact, I have
> seen one project (whose name eludes me) that makes available any kind of design
> document (class diagrams, etc.).  On a similar note, I have not seen any open
> source CASE tools that I am comfortable recommending over, say, Rational Rose
> or Together, and I have attributed that to this attitude.

Have you checked out Dia? There is also a (personal only) free version
of some of the PeopleSoft stuff. I don't much like the PeopleSoft stuff,
it is slow as hell.

D. Stimits, stimits at idcomm.com

> 
> Dhruva
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