Do companies exist where software isn't done with chewing gum and duct tape? • Hacker News Board

Re: Do companies exist where software isn't done with chewing gum and duct tape?

#31

Post by seanwilson » Thu, May 25, 2017, 2:14 PM UTC

To pile on with the comments about avoiding perfectionism and having business sense, I've seen projects and teams go under because they tried to apply every technique they'd heard of that could improve quality control without taking the project budget into consideration.

Cutting corners too much is equally as bad as being a perfectionist as well. Perfectionism might even be worse because you'll probably never finish anything.

Software can always be made better. The important development skill is knowing what's good enough so you're not burning time for little benefit.

Re: Do companies exist where software isn't done with chewing gum and duct tape?

#32

Post by seanwilson » Thu, May 25, 2017, 2:16 PM UTC

JoachimSchipper wrote: post #13

Some pointers: - danluu.com (user luu) on testing in the hardware world (e.g. https://danluu.com/tests-v-reason/ ) and at Google - in general, mature high-quality engineering organizations like Google and modern Microsoft - e.g. Praxis (Google "Tokeneer report") and Galois practice semi-formal and formal methods to produce useful software - e.g. TrustInSoft and seL4 go to full formal verification

Formal verification is an really interesting and challenging field but it's worth commenting that it is very expensive and time consuming. It generally only makes sense right now when bugs can cause serious damage.

Re: Do companies exist where software isn't done with chewing gum and duct tape?

#33

Post by jamessb » Fri, May 26, 2017, 11:53 AM UTC

QuarterReptile wrote: post #27

afarrell wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> crud web app shop CRUD != crud I don't know if you are making this error, but I it all the time on /r/cscareersquestions and it is a foolish conflation. crud: crappily-built product CRUD: a set of UI operations on records in your data model. You can totally have a well-built CRUD app maintained by a team that cares about code quality.

Alternatively,if we're being pedantic, we can go to the original definition, Chalk River Unidentified Deposit (later determined to be activated corrosion products.)

This seems to be a backronym, rather than the word's actual etymology [1].

[1]: https://public-blog.nrc-gateway.gov/2015/03/31/crud-another-...

Re: Do companies exist where software isn't done with chewing gum and duct tape?

#34

Post by probinso » Mon, May 29, 2017, 4:11 PM UTC

AnimalMuppet wrote: post #25

dagw wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How do you expect a company to keep to their code to the highest standard without continuously and rigorously validating that the code is actually up to standard?

mlindner didn't ask for "the highest standards", though - just for "not trash". You do have to ask whether the code does what it's supposed to do. What is your objective evidence that it does so? You need that. But you don't need aerospace standards unless you're critical infrastructure. If you're writing a web app? Not so much. You'd still like to be able to not throw up when you look at the code, though.

It sounds like you are asking rhetorical questions