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From: merchant@dartvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: kludge
Message-ID: <6030@dartvax.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 17-Apr-87 10:35:51 EST
Article-I.D.: dartvax.6030
Posted: Fri Apr 17 10:35:51 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 19-Apr-87 01:10:13 EST
References: <465@dewey.cvedc.UUCP> <4077@beta.UUCP>
Organization: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
Lines: 25
Summary: It's not pretty

In article <4077@beta.UUCP>, dlc@beta.UUCP (Dale Carstensen) writes:
> From the examples of seen of what people call kludges, I'd say the short
> definition is "an inelegant patch which causes a failing object to begin
> working."  For a lawn mower, it might be baling wire to hold the
> carburetor on.  For a program, it might be defining a flag to keep track
> of whether an early exit from a path should be taken.  It surprised me
> a little that the U. S. Navy was mentioned as originating the use of
> kludge in English, since the Navy teaches its officer candidates that
> such a beast is called a "jury-rig."

Kludges, from the way I understood it, are inelegant solutions to a problem
because the elegant solution would require far too much work.  (ie, either
add this bizarre flag or rewrite the whole routine)

In common parlance around here (at the Merchant Marine Academy), "jury-rigs"
are done when the resources to create an effective repair are not available
(time is also considered a resource).  Thus, while they look the same, a kludge
is something done by lazy people who don't want to put in the time to do it
correctly, whereas a "jury-rig" is a temporary solution until the resources for
a proper solution are available.

I doubt there's a precise definition, though.
--
"Well it's all right now,                 Peter Merchant (merchant@dartvax.UUCP)
 In fact it's a gas."