Re: Coding style - a non-issue

Alan Cox
2001-12-01T13:33:51Z

> Recently, our correspondent from Wales wrote:
> ... the changes have been done and
> tested one at a time as they are merged. Real engineering process is the
> only way to get this sort of thing working well.

Which doesn't conflict. Engineering does not require science. Science helps
a lot but people built perfectly good brick walls long before they knew why
cement works.

> All the alchemists ever managed to create were cases of mercury
> poisoning.

and chemistry, eventually. You take it as far more demeaning than its meant.

But right now given two chunks of code, I find out what happens by putting
them together not by formal methods. In the case of alchemy v chemistry the
chemists know whether it will probably go bang before they try it (and the
chemical engineers still duck anyway)

Alan