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Have they never heard of source control?
"If you don't fail at least 90 percent of the time, you're not aiming high enough."
Alan Kay.
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At least 50 customizations / year, several of them spanning more than one week (new algorithms, support for ageing hardware, support for hardware only that customer has) and only two developers means there's usually no time. Add to that the new machines designs (pushed from above by our boss) and the bugfixing... source control is done on a per-needed / per-encoutnered basis. Fear tha serial port manager has issues / need to implement a new functionality to it? If you stumble across something that can be refactored you do it (if needed and not pressed with urgent matter).
Let's add that our technical support often doesn't even TRY to find problems and points directly to the software, meaning we check and recheck things that are working...
GCS d--- s-/++ a- C++++ U+++ P- L- E-- W++ N++ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t++ 5? X R++ tv-- b+ DI+++ D++ G e++>+++ h--- ++>+++ y+++* Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X
If you think 'goto' is evil, try writing an Assembly program without JMP. -- TNCaver
"When you have eliminated the JavaScript, whatever remains must be an empty page." -- Mike Hankey
If a coffee bean is between the Earth and the Sun, is it a Java Eclipse? -- Sascha Lefèvre
/xml>
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The problem with commented-out code is that it can be put back in again without going through the human brain on its way in. If I find commented out code I delete it.
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Me too, unless there is commented a reason. For example it cousl be a customization, so the commented line is the standard while the current is the edited. Why comment it out and not leave it there? Because if troubleshooting we find that line and don't remember that it is a customization then we'll "fix" it.
Also many things are changed - for example first there was a class that managed serial ports, then I developed the new one and used side by side, because we did not have the time to fix everything that used the old class, which by the way was thought for those devices. Then time after time each device was converted to work to the proven reliable new class, but we kept the old one as a fallback in case something somewhere stopped working and we couldn't figure out what the problem could be. Then it was deleted when it was reasonably sure that no problem arised from the new calss and eventual problems should be fixed on the new class only.
We tend to be very conservative...
GCS d--- s-/++ a- C++++ U+++ P- L- E-- W++ N++ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t++ 5? X R++ tv-- b+ DI+++ D++ G e++>+++ h--- ++>+++ y+++* Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X
If you think 'goto' is evil, try writing an Assembly program without JMP. -- TNCaver
"When you have eliminated the JavaScript, whatever remains must be an empty page." -- Mike Hankey
If a coffee bean is between the Earth and the Sun, is it a Java Eclipse? -- Sascha Lefèvre
/xml>
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Quote: When it comes to pets, there’s a heartbreaking lie that parents often tell little children when they believe that those children are not yet ready to wrap their heads around the concept of death. “Rex went to a nice farm in the countryside where he can run and play with all of the other animals all day!”
Every time I see this bit of rot, I'm reminded of what happened a dozenish years ago when, after their dog died, it was my preschool age cousins who were consoling their heartbroken mother.
Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, waging all things in the balance of reason?
Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful?
--Zachris Topelius
Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies.
-- Sarah Hoyt
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The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said Microsoft Corp was recalling about 2.25 million AC power cords, less than a week after Apple Inc said it was recalling AC wall plug adapters due to a shock hazard. Just in case you bought one of these
Yeah, I know. Power cord == shock hazard. Shocking.
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'We will engage on qualified strategic proposals.' Check the seat cushions, we might be able to collect enough
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Lol...watch Micro$oft buy them for a song...
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Selling your workforce is generally frowned upon today.
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bad business decisions of higher up but Worker will be one layoff 
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The majority of cyber attackers are motivated by money, but make less than $15,000 per successful attack Times are tough. Maybe we should start a collection for them?
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Still beats robbing banks[^] though.
"the debugger doesn't tell me anything because this code compiles just fine" - random QA comment
"Facebook is where you tell lies to your friends. Twitter is where you tell the truth to strangers." - chriselst
"I don't drink any more... then again, I don't drink any less." - Mike Mullikins uncle
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Network tool contained hard-coded prime number that wasn't prime after all. "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity"
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Configuration in .NET Core, Customizable Scripting in C#, Universal Windows Platform Apps for Web Developers, and so much more. Including the must read: Roach Infestation Optimization
Trigger warning - does include mention of VB6
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Kent Sharkey wrote: does include mention of VB6
Which is the reason this is the only issue of MSDN Magazine I read. VB6 sometimes makes me scream fristrated but there isn't anything it couldn't be done with the VB6/C++ duo. And it's all fast which in some applications is more important than all the rest - not including the fact that it's way less decompilable than a IL Assembly.
GCS d--- s-/++ a- C++++ U+++ P- L- E-- W++ N++ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t++ 5? X R++ tv-- b+ DI+++ D++ G e++>+++ h--- ++>+++ y+++* Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X
If you think 'goto' is evil, try writing an Assembly program without JMP. -- TNCaver
"When you have eliminated the JavaScript, whatever remains must be an empty page." -- Mike Hankey
If a coffee bean is between the Earth and the Sun, is it a Java Eclipse? -- Sascha Lefèvre
/xml>
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I feel your frustration.
We've ton of VB6 sources, but my frustration began many years ago when I realized that the "pure" VB6 could solve a very minimal part of the real problems. Being a strong yet proud C/C++ hater, I quickly turned to a massive use of the APIs. The result are very nice apps with the "everything-but-portable" feature included.
The today's pain for this result are way worse than the initial frustration.
Put all on the table, along with the pro/cons of the framework, I really believe the C#/.Net couple is the very best duo ever made (after Stan and Ollie, of course).
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Portability is not an issue when one have to control the hardware: there is no such thing, period. For non hardware related problems I agree with you, except that I'd use C#/C++, with only the bare minimum exposed in C#.
GCS d--- s-/++ a- C++++ U+++ P- L- E-- W++ N++ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t++ 5? X R++ tv-- b+ DI+++ D++ G e++>+++ h--- ++>+++ y+++* Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X
If you think 'goto' is evil, try writing an Assembly program without JMP. -- TNCaver
"When you have eliminated the JavaScript, whatever remains must be an empty page." -- Mike Hankey
If a coffee bean is between the Earth and the Sun, is it a Java Eclipse? -- Sascha Lefèvre
/xml>
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I don't understand what you mean as "control the hardware".
We develop software but we're able to constrain a very little about the Customers' target machine: the market rules that.
For instance, tons of people owns a smartphone and would love having our system on that: either we drop, or we must find some way to move to those devices.
That's the way I really prefer an overhauled yet abstracted framework, than a tight-coupled language: the possibility to reuse the sources are much higher.
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den2k88 wrote: And it's all fast
As long as there is not much string handling involved. VB6's implementation if string-handling is quite likely the worst in any programming environment anywhere in the world.
"If you don't fail at least 90 percent of the time, you're not aiming high enough."
Alan Kay.
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Absolutely true, luckily we don't have much string processing.
GCS d--- s-/++ a- C++++ U+++ P- L- E-- W++ N++ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t++ 5? X R++ tv-- b+ DI+++ D++ G e++>+++ h--- ++>+++ y+++* Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X
If you think 'goto' is evil, try writing an Assembly program without JMP. -- TNCaver
"When you have eliminated the JavaScript, whatever remains must be an empty page." -- Mike Hankey
If a coffee bean is between the Earth and the Sun, is it a Java Eclipse? -- Sascha Lefèvre
/xml>
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The VB6 class (surrogate) is even slower than strings.
Anyway, if the word "fast" applies to VB6, then C# is "blazing fast": sometimes even faster than native C++.
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Also, "there isn't anything it couldn't be done with the VB6/C++ duo."
How about writing a cross-platform app?
"If you don't fail at least 90 percent of the time, you're not aiming high enough."
Alan Kay.
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How about cross-platform is terribly overrated? The world does not revolve around apps, but hard and solid code that involve at least some hardware managing. All the rest is built on top of that.
Also cross platform as what, exactly? As Java, that sucks on all platforms (crossed platforms is actually the result)? As .NET, whose cross compatibility is such that .NET 4.5 applications can't run on say, win2k? So much for the cross platform. Or are we talking about web applications, which may be compatible with all the browsers - if practically you write separate cases for each of them, and often they struggle on smartphones due to lack of proper darg-drop implementations on touchscreens.
So yes, if yoo REALLY need something cross platform you don't use VB6/C++. Of course. It's just that cross platform is a unicorn.
GCS d--- s-/++ a- C++++ U+++ P- L- E-- W++ N++ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t++ 5? X R++ tv-- b+ DI+++ D++ G e++>+++ h--- ++>+++ y+++* Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X
If you think 'goto' is evil, try writing an Assembly program without JMP. -- TNCaver
"When you have eliminated the JavaScript, whatever remains must be an empty page." -- Mike Hankey
If a coffee bean is between the Earth and the Sun, is it a Java Eclipse? -- Sascha Lefèvre
/xml>
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C++ is very capable for cross platform work, VB6 not so much. There are many, many cross-platform products that work well. Google Chrome springs to mind as a single example. Oracle, many languages, the list goes on. Unlike Unicorns this stuff exists and works, and I'm using it right now to compose my reply.
Really though, it was just an example of something that cannot be done with a combination of VB6/C++, to point out that such a statement was utterly asinine.
Although in a Turing sense, most languages are capable of exactly the same computations, in the real world, it is best to choose the best tool for the job.
Further, WTF are you doing targeting Win2K in 2016? It is obsolete and unsupported.
"If you don't fail at least 90 percent of the time, you're not aiming high enough."
Alan Kay.
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Rob Grainger wrote: Further, WTF are you doing targeting Win2K in 2016? It is obsolete and unsupported.
Production lines... some of those still have the old DOS machines, dating back to 1996! A single machine can cost up to half a million and they are embedded systems, also users are trained on a certain software and want to keep it. When the cost of a production stop to change the machine, the price and installation of the new one, the training of the manpower to the new options and interface and the stocking of spare components amount to millions... it is postponed until absolutely necessary.
And I'm talking of BIG companies, the ones you see producing almost anything under dozens of trademarks, I won't name them but think of the soluble chocolate and powdered milk, think of the pre-sliced cheese mostly used on toasts, think of the pre-washed and cut salad, or the most famous chocolate/nuts spread... also pharmaceutical companies are the most resistant to change due to the painstaking certification procedures.
The industrial world is a bit different from the ever-changing always-running enterprise world. Basically our software is 50% an advanced image processor and 50% an advanced PLC, which has to manage x-ray detectors, x-ray generators (with all the safety rules that comes with radiations), conveyor belts that are chained to the whole production line, pneumatic actuators that push out only contaminated products from the line, cooling of the high heat emitting components... plus all the extra functions the customer wants, as reporting, ProfiBUS/ModBus/... connection and control, interface with databases, off-line elaboration of previous rejects to automatically tune the setup and so on. With up to 30 products/second to inspect each millisecond is important even on a i7.
GCS d--- s-/++ a- C++++ U+++ P- L- E-- W++ N++ o+ K- w+++ O? M-- V? PS+ PE- Y+ PGP t++ 5? X R++ tv-- b+ DI+++ D++ G e++>+++ h--- ++>+++ y+++* Weapons extension: ma- k++ F+2 X
If you think 'goto' is evil, try writing an Assembly program without JMP. -- TNCaver
"When you have eliminated the JavaScript, whatever remains must be an empty page." -- Mike Hankey
If a coffee bean is between the Earth and the Sun, is it a Java Eclipse? -- Sascha Lefèvre
/xml>
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