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From: maclean@bcarh186.bnr.ca (Mark Maclean)
Newsgroups: comp.misc,comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: The *ART* of Computer Programming
Message-ID: <2308@bnr-rsc.UUCP>
Date: 13 Mar 90 23:57:48 GMT
References: <1990Mar3.065257.13674@wolves.uucp> <14203@cbnewsc.ATT.COM>
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In article <14203@cbnewsc.ATT.COM> dritchey@cbnewsc.ATT.COM (don.ritchey) writes:
>main problem that I have seen in maintaining other people's software is
>excessive creativity where it is not appropriate 
>
>On the other hand, when creativity is essential (to overcome some
>limitation such as process run time, lack of heap space, or whatever)
>the well disciplined programmer writes the "creative code" as clearly
>and as cleanly as possible.  The more creative and convoluted the code
                                       ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>must be to overcome the obstacle, the greater the need for explanations
>and in-progress comments to let the maintenance programmer figure out
>what was done and how.  It also helps the programmer figure out what he


Creative programming, for me at least, usually involves trying to simplify
the problem as much as possible.  

If the code is extremely convoluted then it is entirely likely that the
programmer was not creative enough.  Creativity is a must for creating
good, maintainable code.

K.I.S.S. requires creativity too.


- The above are not the opinions of my species, my country, or my employer.
  If you disagree with them then they are not your opinions either!