Once only since 1980.
And this was back about 1985 when we wrote out our programs on paper
sheets and the key-punch group put them on diskette. (Once in the
system, we did have a basic editor to fix things.) It was not a 'small'
program, but also not a 'large' program. It was in Cobol. Of course,
'size' was based on my then current thought processes. What is 'small'
now would have been considered bigger then.
It compiled and ran correctly the very first time.
I have always wondered if any variable names or other typos were
'corrected' by the person in the key-punch group.
Now days, my development methods are much different. More 'code and test
base program flow' then 'code and test additions'. And, if the test run
takes some time, I actually code more lines while each test is running.
I also write mostly 98% assembler where a L vs LA will get me every
time. So, I don't expect it to ever happen again.
It's kind of like that perfect 25k gusty cross-wind landing, but nobody
else was in the plane with you to see it. If nobody else sees it, did it
really happen? :-)
Tony Thigpen
Bob Bridges wrote on 8/21/21 9:30 PM:
This part of the thread got me thinking. How often do you write a program that
works right the first time, with no compile or execution errors? I'm not
talking about two-liners, of course, or even ten-liners; let's say 30 or
thereabouts. Please specify the language, too, since it seems to me they vary
in error-prone-ness.
I've done it occasionally, but by "occasionally" I mean "less than one time in
twenty"; maybe much less, I'm not sure, and only once in my life when anyone was watching.
That was in PL/C; mostly nowadays I write in REXX and VBA.
In fact my REXXes typically start out with at least ten or fifteen lines of boilerplate,
and any VBA/Excel program likely relies on a raft of common functions and/or objects that
are part of my regular library, so when I say "30 lines", some of those lines
don't really count.
---
Bob Bridges, [email protected], cell 336 382-7313
/* The schools of ancient morality had four cardinal virtues: justice in human
relations, prudence in the directions of affairs, fortitude in bearing trouble
or sorrow, temperance or self-restraint. But they knew nothing of mercy or
forgiveness, which is not natural to the human heart. Forgiveness is an exotic,
which Christ brought with Him from Heaven. -F.B.Meyer */
-----Original Message-----
From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Tom
Brennan
Sent: Wednesday, August 18, 2021 13:41
....one of my other supervisors/teachers would tell me about her application
experience. She said no matter how complex her COBOL programs were, they would
not only compile first time but would run perfectly. This of course was due to
her rigorous desk-checking which I assume took days.
I remember thinking "that's crazy" but I just kept quiet. I'll give her a
break because that could have been at the time of card punching where such desk-checking
made far more sense.
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