Questions tagged [maintenance]
The activities that occur after deployment of a software system. This includes making modifications to released systems, training, operating, and transitioning to support organizations.
207
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I've inherited 200K lines of spaghetti code -- what now?
I hope this isn't too general of a question; I could really use some seasoned advice.
I am newly employed as the sole "SW Engineer" in a fairly small shop of scientists who have spent the last 10-20 ...
367
votes
28
answers
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I'm doing 90% maintenance and 10% development, is this normal? [closed]
I have just recently started my career as a web developer for a medium sized company. As soon as I started I got the task of expanding an existing application (badly coded, developed by multiple ...
247
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6
answers
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Why do dynamic languages make it more difficult to maintain large codebases? [duplicate]
Large codebases are more difficult to maintain when they are written in dynamic languages. At least that's what Yevgeniy Brikman, lead developer bringing the Play Framework to LinkedIn says in a video ...
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144
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31
answers
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How do you dive into large code bases?
What tools and techniques do you use for exploring and learning an unknown code base?
I am thinking of tools like grep, ctags, unit-tests, functional test, class-diagram generators, call graphs, ...
124
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7
answers
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What is the most effective way to add functionality to unfamiliar, structurally unsound code? [duplicate]
This is probably something everyone has to face during the development sooner or later.
You have an existing code written by someone else, and you have to extend it to work under new requirements.
...
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88
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21
answers
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How would you react if someone told you your code is a mess?
I am a good programmer, or so I thought before. I always love to program. And I want to learn many things about programming to make me a better programmer. I studied programming for 1 year and now I ...
76
votes
12
answers
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Is there a point to including a "change log" in every code file when you are using version control?
I was under the impression that a version control system eliminated the need to have "change logs" plastered everywhere in the code. I've often seen the continued use of change logs, including big ...
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76
votes
9
answers
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How should you deal with a popular project that you no longer want to maintain?
I am the maintainer of a project which has a large non-technical userbase. I've been maintaining it for about 4 years now and adding new features as they've been requested.
I'd like to move on to ...
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75
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7
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Writing Tests for Existing Code
Suppose one had a relatively large program (say 900k SLOC in C#), all commented/documented thoroughly, well organized and working well. The entire code base was written by a single senior developer ...
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64
votes
11
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How do you stay productive when dealing with extremely badly written code?
I don't have much experience in working in software industry, being self-taught and having participated in open source before deciding to take a job. Now that I work for money, I also have to deal ...
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62
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16
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Is the creation of brand new software generally a major part of most programming jobs? [closed]
I have worked in software development for over 10 years now, and it's dawning on me that I rarely get to create anything "new". I realize that "new" is a vague term, but I would define it as anything ...
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18
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Working on someone else's code [closed]
I have hardly a year's experience in coding. After I started working, most of the time I would be working on someone else's code, either adding new features over the existing ones or modifying the ...
55
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18
answers
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How to manage a developer who has poor communication skills
I manage a small team of developers on an application which is in the mid-point of its lifecycle, within a big firm. This unfortunately means there is commonly a 30/70 split of Programming tasks to "...
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5
answers
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Does dedicated maintenance work hamper a programmer's career? [closed]
The majority of my work over the last three years has largely been around maintaining legacy systems that needed patching up or the occasional revamp before being sold again.
I understand the ...
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8
answers
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Should we ever delete data in a database?
I am new to databases and trying to understand the basic concepts. I have learned how to delete data in a database. But one of my friends told me that you should never delete data in a database. ...
user4124
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10
answers
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Graduate expectations versus reality [closed]
When choosing what we want to study, and do with our careers and lives, we all have some expectations of what it is going to be like. Now that I've been in the industry for almost a decade, I've been ...
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46
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8
answers
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Code maintenance: keeping a bad pattern when extending new code for being consistent, or not?
I have to extend an existing module of a project. I don't like the way it has been done (lots of anti-pattern involved, like copy/pasted code). I don't want to perform a complete refactor for many ...
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41
votes
10
answers
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Is it a good idea to schedule regular time to clean up code? [closed]
I'm managing a small team of developers. Every so often we decide we're going to spend a day or two to clean up our code.
Would it be a good idea to schedule regular time, say 1 week every 2 months, ...
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40
votes
10
answers
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Understanding already existing complex code base [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
What is the most effective way to add functionality to unfamiliar, structurally unsound code?
Till now, all I have worked on is with Java projects that I build from scratch (...
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37
votes
10
answers
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Why are websites (even this one) sometimes "Down for Maintenance"?
I have personally never done this. I don't understand why so many sites do, if you do your development on a development server why would you ever need to shut down your production site?
I have always ...
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37
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9
answers
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Real world pitfalls of introducing F# into a large codebase and engineering team [closed]
I'm CTO of a software firm with a large existing codebase (all C#) and a sizable engineering team. I can see how certain parts of the code would be far easier to write in F#, resulting in faster ...
37
votes
2
answers
3k
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How do you keep your basic skills from atrophy? [closed]
Coding is only one aspect to professional programming. My job requires me to code, but it also requires me to do other things for extended periods – sometimes days or weeks go by when I'm not just ...
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34
votes
7
answers
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Becoming a "maintenance developer" [duplicate]
So I've kind of been getting angry about the current position I'm in, and I'd love to get other developers' input on this.
I've been at my current place of employment for about 11 months now. When I ...
anon
33
votes
7
answers
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Who should pay for fixes/bugs? [closed]
So I just started freelancing both in desktop/web development and this client who already accepted my work, and payed me keeps coming back at me each time he finds a bug etc. And I have found myself ...
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32
votes
13
answers
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Problems (such as maintenance) in development with unpopular language
I'm developing some application with clojure(lisp) alone in my team. It starts as small application. No problem. But as it's having features and extending the area, it's becoming important program.
I ...
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6
answers
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Thousands of errors!
I was assigned to a new project recently. Well, an old project actually, written in classic ASP. Now a new version of the application is being written in the latest ASP.NET, but it's not expected to ...
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30
votes
11
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What factors should influence how I determine when to abandon a small project with a friend? [closed]
I've found myself in a tough spot as of late. Been working on a game with a programming buddy for nearly 8 months now. We both started off as newcomers to programming around August of last year, he is ...
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28
votes
7
answers
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Is there an opposite for the term "Backporting"?
As I understand, the term "Backporting" is used to describe a fix which is applied in a future version which is also ported to a previous version. Wikipedia definition is as follows:
Backporting is ...
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28
votes
8
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When do you rebuild an application or keep on fixing the existing one [duplicate]
Possible Duplicates:
When is a BIG Rewrite the answer?
Have you ever been involved in a BIG Rewrite?
I am at a customer where I have been tasked to fix a number of issues they have in their ...
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28
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6
answers
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Maintain a web application once the only developer is gone
I have a terminal disease and there is a very high chance that I will no longer be in this world by the end of the year.
I have developed a web application that it is extensively used in my family’s ...
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27
votes
12
answers
5k
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How do people manage to write and maintain extremely complex and hard to read code? [closed]
Reading SQLite source code is IMO mission impossible. Yet it is a usable piece of quite complex software (it's a full-blown embedded database after all) that can be downloaded, compiled and used from ...
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25
votes
12
answers
3k
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Industry has no place for passionate programmers? [closed]
I've been interning at a place where my manager believes that if you are in a,
product company, then you generally spend time tweaking the product and sometimes adding some features, or
service ...
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25
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9
answers
3k
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How should I go about learning a very large and complex application? [duplicate]
Being a young and fairly inexperienced developer recently employed by a "real" software company I'd like some opinions and pointers on how to do the following:
Approaches on how to get familiar with ...
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25
votes
6
answers
2k
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How to fix a project with basically no structure?
I've been working on a software project mostly solo for over 5 years. It was a mess to begin with (I am the third or fourth developer to be working on it), and although it's less of a mess now it is ...
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24
votes
13
answers
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Becoming a Better Bug-Fixer
I love being a programmer. There, I said it. However, with that said, I've realized lately that I really can't stand bug-fixing. At all.
In fact, while I'm developing something, my productivity is ...
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24
votes
1
answer
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What is the effect of creating unit tests during development on time to develop as well as time spent in maintenance activities?
I'm a consultant and I am going to introduce unit tests to all developers at my client site. My goal is to ensure that all new applications should have unit tests for all classes created.
The client ...
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23
votes
12
answers
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I just started a job with Scrum and something seems to be missing. I am new to Scrum
The code is a complete mess of a combination of classic ASP/ASP.NET. The scrum consist of us patching up the big mess or making additions to it. We are all too busy doing that to start a rewrite so I ...
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23
votes
4
answers
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How to deal with team members writing bad code [duplicate]
Our team consits of junior and senior developers. Problem I am facing is with the code written by seniors. They are not following MINIMUM coding standards. I am also still learning but I wouldn't ...
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23
votes
3
answers
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Git branching strategy for long-running unreleased code
At our team, in addition to individual units of work (Stories), we have longer-running themes of work (Epics). Multiple stories make an epic.
Traditionally we've had feature branches for each Story, ...
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22
votes
9
answers
3k
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Is it normal/acceptable to write down notes, thoughts, algorithms, decisions during coding and maintenance? [closed]
Some people have this problem that they cannot think without words. And writing down their thoughts and decisions is the most effective way to proceed.
So - is it normal and acceptable that I write ...
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22
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5
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How to handle this unfortunately non hypothetical situation with end-users?
I work in a medium sized company but with a very small IT force.
Last year (2011), I wrote an application that is very popular with a large group of end-users. We hit a deadline at the end of last ...
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21
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12
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How can a maintenance-only programmer get a raise? [closed]
I have been working as a maintenance programmer for a couple of years and am wondering if there is such a thing as a raise for maintenance programmer? I ask because responsibilities don't get wider, ...
user1449
21
votes
4
answers
2k
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Helping someone who is not and never will be a professional programmer write code that is more legible and usable to use and interpret [closed]
I am Elvis, trying very hard to learn to be Einstein. I work for Mort.
What the hell is this crazy idiot talking about!?!? (You only need to read the first few paragraphs)
If you don't feel like ...
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When is it acceptable to NOT fix broken windows?
In reference to broken windows, are there times when refactoring is best left for a future activity?
For example, if a project to add some new features to an existing internal system is assigned to a ...
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20
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5
answers
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switch statement - handling default case when it can't be reached
If I'm using a switch statement to handle values from an enum (which is owned by my class) and I have a case for each possible value - is it worth adding code to handle the "default" case?
enum ...
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20
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3
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Is there a measure of code rot? [duplicate]
I'm dealing, again, with a messy C++ application, tons of classes with confusing names, objects have pointers into each other and all over, longwinded Boost and STL data types, etc. (Pause and ...
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4
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How to convince/prove my manager that a rewriting is needed rather than a refactoring [duplicate]
My manager wants me to refactor a gigantic amount of terribly-coupled, macroed, full of private namespace methods, hierarchy-perverted (even 10+ levels of inheritance) code which hasn't been (indeed) ...
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19
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7
answers
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How to ease the maintenance of event driven code?
When using an event based component I often feel some pain at maintenance phase.
Since the executed code is all split around it can be quite hard to figure what will be all the code part that will ...
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18
votes
6
answers
4k
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Does dealing with legacy code help one evolve as a programmer? [closed]
I'm a Java developer with a bit more than a year of experience which places me somewhere above a junior, but not among mid-level developers yet. Recently I was offered a long-term project which is ...
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18
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7
answers
1k
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How to improve the training of students regarding maintainability? [closed]
Maintainability is a major stake of professional software development. Indeed, maintenance is nearly always the longest part of a software life cycle, as it lasts from the project release until ...
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