[thelist] Enterprise Red Tape was: Web Based Employee Direct ory-prt 2

[John.Brooking at sappi.com]

Steve Lewis <nepolon at worlddomination.net> said:
>At the same time, the code reuse pays off, once familiar with the APIs
>and architecture of the framework (a complex task requires a complex
>solution in this case), it becomes a very endearing and usable framework.

I think this hits the nail on the head. For me, the biggest barrier to code
re-use is knowledge of what's available and how to use it. I'm more inclined
to spend a few hours writing something myself, and then I know how it works
and can change it if necessary (in theory), than spend the same few hours
looking for someone else's solution and learning how to use it. I'm not
saying it's right, but that's my natural inclination as a coder, and often I
need to repress it. Of course, chances are that it will probably take me
longer than "just a few hours" to write it, and maybe it's harder than I
thought and I will get bogged down. But on the other hand, what if I search
for hours and still find nothing that fits? (Then at least I will have more
justification for "rolling my own", so it's still not a total waste.)

Other limiting factors of course are the modularity of the code to be
re-used, how well-written or not it is, and how well-supported or
changeable. Others have addressed those points well.

To Steve's point, it's easier if you are limiting your focus to re-using
what's been developed within your own company, as opposed to going out to
the Internet to find solutions from scratch. Then you can put the processes
in place and train your new employees to use them. Given the limitations of
your management climate, of course.

- John
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