I always hated places that did not allow me to do my own keypunching. When you submitted corrections, there was always the risk that the key-punch operator would introduce new errors. I was generally involved with software with evolving requirements, so even a clean compile and execution didn't mean that I got it right.
I had similar problems with secretaries; when I submitted corrections, there were always errors in previously correct text. When I discovered markup languages, I never looked back. One side effect was that I became a lot fussier about layout. -- Shmuel (Seymour J.) Metz http://mason.gmu.edu/~smetz3 ________________________________________ From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [[email protected]] on behalf of Tony Thigpen [[email protected]] Sent: Sunday, August 22, 2021 7:55 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Programs that work right the first time. 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. > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, > send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
