in reply to Re: Re: Best way to 'add modules' to web app?
in thread Best way to 'add modules' to web app?

What if you guess wrong? You'll still have to rewrite.

I'd rather add ten features to a system that's well-tested and regularly refactored than one system that has been completely planned from the beginning. I'd bet that it's also much cheaper to change the first system than the second.

I much prefer software that's so simple you can change it than software that's so flexible you don't have to change it — because someone always has to change it and that's usually me.

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Best way to 'add modules' to web app?
by Aighearach (Initiate) on Jul 05, 2003 at 08:05 UTC
    What if you guess wrong? You'll still have to rewrite.
     I recommend against "guessing" as your design methodology.
    --
    Snazzy tagline here
[reply]

      Exactly. Don't guess. Know.

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Re: Re: Re: Re: Best way to 'add modules' to web app?
by Anonymous Monk on Jul 05, 2003 at 16:45 UTC
    Until your softare gets so bloody huge, you can't refactor quickly. Chances are, if you add expansionability (is that a real word), then you'll have something in place that itself can be refactored with much ease. You won't have to hack in expansionability. (two times!)
[reply]

      Can you give an example of where this happens?

      In my experience a well-factored program means that you always have a codebase that is flexible enough to accept new features simply. However large.

      There is also the advantage of avoiding the overhead of infrastructure until you need it, which means you have a smaller simpler codebase that is faster to develop and maintain.

[reply]
        Look at the older code for everybuddy. It's in C. They don't do anything with any idea of expanding on their source code, till now. You can't even do drag-and-drop withtheir current code base. It'd requier expert knowledge in the code to know HOW to refactor it.

        Incrememnttal is always good and all, but planning against extending or expanding is a shot in the foot.

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