Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!uwvax!uwslh!jiml
From: jiml@uwslh.UUCP (James E. Leinweber)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: Cynic's Guide to Software Engineering, part 4
Message-ID: <321@uwslh.UUCP>
Date: 25 Apr 88 04:39:42 GMT
Organization: U of Wisconsin-Madison, State Hygiene Lab
Lines: 21

There is a simple reason why one would spend a goodly portion
of ones time on a project writing tools, even in the presense of a
supportive systems environment.  As was mentioned in one of the
programming pearl's columns (if memory serves), building a large
software project is analogous to building a large structure like a
bridge or skyscraper.  You need some scaffolding along the way.

Software scaffolding consists of tools to manipulate your source,
manage configurations, generate test data and analyze test runs, etc.
Even though the kind of scaffolding you use on a bridge or a software
project may be quite standard and built from re-used arts, each
project requires assembling some afresh.


Jim Leinweber		jiml@uwslh.uucp		jiml%uwslh.uucp@cs.wisc.edu
 ...!{rutgers, ucbvax, ihnp4, ...}!uwvax!uwslh!jiml
State Laboratory of Hygiene @ Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison; (608) 262-8092
-- 
Jim Leinweber		jiml@uwslh.uucp		jiml%uwslh.uucp@cs.wisc.edu
 ...!{rutgers, ucbvax, ihnp4, ...}!uwvax!uwslh!jiml
State Laboratory of Hygiene @ Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison; (608) 262-8092