Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!mips!apple!motcsd!mcdcup!mcdchg!mcdphx!udc!preece From: preece@urbana.mcd.mot.com (Scott E. Preece) Newsgroups: comp.object Subject: Re: Readability of Ada Message-ID: Date: 26 Apr 91 21:13:18 GMT References: Sender: news@urbana.mcd.mot.com (news) Distribution: comp Organization: Motorola MCD, Urbana Design Center Lines: 23 In-Reply-To: jls@rutabaga.Rational.COM's message of 23 Apr 91 22:23:48 GMT Nntp-Posting-Host: etude.urbana.mcd.mot.com [jls responds to my note} >>It would be foolish to program for the reading level of the novice >>programmer > >Not really. The vast majority of work on software that goes on (like, >about 70%) is MAINTENANCE. This is often performed by underpaid, >underskilled, and overwhelmed junior programmers, many of whom are >unfamiliar with the original design, weren't around when "clever" >decisions were initially made, etc. To NOT program from the outset >with an eye toward making the job easier for the downstream maintainer >is criminal. --- I'm not talking about "clever" decisions or obscure programming tricks, I'm talking about idiomatic use of a programming language. The only measure of readability should be how the program text conveys its purpose to a person reasonably fluent in the language. Otherwise, if the goal is language-independent comprehension, we need to be talking in entirey different terms, like diagrams and English text... -- scott preece motorola/mcg urbana design center 1101 e. university, urbana, il 61801 uucp: uunet!uiucuxc!udc!preece, arpa: preece@urbana.mcd.mot.com phone: 217-384-8589 fax: 217-384-8550