About 2007-07-15 roguelike

It’s really much easier to improve the code gradually while still keeping it working, than to make a complete rewrite from scratch (…)

And that’s interesting - I always thought it’s the other way round!

(I guess it’s so only because the initial code was not that hairy.)

– Marcin 2007-07-17 09:42 UTC

No really, I’ve done it many times: complete rewrite where you stop halfway and lose your interest, and soon you don’t even remember what part of code you were supposed to implement next and you don’t feel like touching it all with a ten foot Pole.

A friend of mine has a theory that the “gradual improvement” (aka agile programming) technique works because of some kind of “fixing energy” that every guy has – that makes us enjoy repairing things that don’t look right. There is something to it, 90% of changes are stylistic, I only refactor the actual code when there is no small irrelevant error left to fix. It stills keeps me moving, maybe slower than with total rewrite, maybe less “efficient”, but at least I keep on doing it and don’t leave it halfway done. ANd the code looks nice afterwards.

– TheSheep 2007-07-17 11:29 UTC

Yes, I guess I’m quite convinced. I especially like the idea of that “fixing energy” – yet another factor making us different from women … I love it!

– Marcin 2007-07-17 11:33 UTC

All generalizations are wrong, of course

– TheSheep 2007-07-17 22:38 UTC

Especially this one

Well, generalizations are ok. Using them in a stupid way is wrong.

– Marcin 2007-07-18 15:14 UTC

No substance is poisonous, it’s the dose that kills.

– TheSheep 2007-07-18 23:19 UTC