4 ms·

What percentage of code written 20+ years ago is still in production - without any kind of updates - today? Also, many developers use Macs not because they're

by whakim 7y ago

What percentage of code written 20+ years ago is still in production - without any kind of updates - today? Also, many developers use Macs not because they're in love, but because of the practical conveniences of working on a Unix-based OS.

osamagirl69 7y ago
Not every piece of software is a vape-delivery-via-drone-app. I have about a dozen small very specific scientific 'calculators' (only the windows/linux ones that still run, the mac ones are all dead which is a darn shame since there were some jewels out there) that were written by researchers 10-20 years ago and never updated since. They haven't been touched by the original developer in years, in fact many of their host websites have been lost to the ages so they exist only through sharing on forums and whatnot. But, since they do not need any sort of connection to the outside world (times were simpler back then you see...) they still run fine in compatibility mode. For some of them their functionality can be replicated with modern software (probably in a web app or something), but the original tools still work perfectly for their jobs and are still useful today. Don't even get me started on all of the equipment which is stuck running windows 98 because of the serial port library used to communicate with the equipment was using the dos api... examples: Psst! - https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~psst/ https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~psst/ Laser Line - http://www.skywise711.com/laserline/ http://www.skywise711.com/laserline/ I also use a number of paid tools that I paid for back in the '90s or early 2000's and haven't felt compelled to 'upgrade'. They run great and give me the answers I need, so until the vendor has added actual useful features (instead of reskinning them with a flat/metro interface...) I see no reason to upgrade.
- whakim 7y ago
  I wasn't claiming that there isn't any software built 20+ years ago which hasn't seen updates and yet still works and still has utility. The point is there isn't much of it relative to the wider ecosystem. One particularly important reason for that is security. Most of the dependencies for software written 20+ years ago have long since been EOL'd and are therefore vulnerable.
- FpUser 7y ago
  In 1991 I updated for the last time a piece of software (DOS based with proprietary multithreading and graphics layers). The software controls some scientific device, collects, processes and displays experimental data in real time and stores data for later analysis. About 2 years ago or so I think I was shocked to discover that they're still using said device and the software in unmodified form running it under DOSBox or something like that
bigger_cheese 7y ago
There is more software out there than just desktop apps. At my work there is code from 1980's written for IBM mainframe in PL/I language still running. Has seen minor changes over the years but very much 40 year old code at the heart of it. This code has basically had continuous uptime since then. I work at industrial plant I have heard not uncommon for Banks, insurance companies, power plants etc to have similar setups with same vintage of software. We have C and C++ code from the 90's originally written for RS/6000 era Unix boxes. That stuff is pushing 30 now. still actively maintained. There is Fortran with genesis dating back to 80's still being run today. A 30 year lifespan for industrial equipment is not uncommon it would be nuts to replace control software and things like that so often.

by whakim 7y ago

osamagirl69 7y ago

Not every piece of software is a vape-delivery-via-drone-app. I have about a dozen small very specific scientific 'calculators' (only the windows/linux ones that still run, the mac ones are all dead which is a darn shame since there were some jewels out there) that were written by researchers 10-20 years ago and never updated since. They haven't been touched by the original developer in years, in fact many of their host websites have been lost to the ages so they exist only through sharing on forums and whatnot. But, since they do not need any sort of connection to the outside world (times were simpler back then you see...) they still run fine in compatibility mode. For some of them their functionality can be replicated with modern software (probably in a web app or something), but the original tools still work perfectly for their jobs and are still useful today. Don't even get me started on all of the equipment which is stuck running windows 98 because of the serial port library used to communicate with the equipment was using the dos api... examples: Psst! - https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~psst/ https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~psst/ Laser Line - http://www.skywise711.com/laserline/ http://www.skywise711.com/laserline/ I also use a number of paid tools that I paid for back in the '90s or early 2000's and haven't felt compelled to 'upgrade'. They run great and give me the answers I need, so until the vendor has added actual useful features (instead of reskinning them with a flat/metro interface...) I see no reason to upgrade.

whakim 7y ago
I wasn't claiming that there isn't any software built 20+ years ago which hasn't seen updates and yet still works and still has utility. The point is there isn't much of it relative to the wider ecosystem. One particularly important reason for that is security. Most of the dependencies for software written 20+ years ago have long since been EOL'd and are therefore vulnerable.
FpUser 7y ago
In 1991 I updated for the last time a piece of software (DOS based with proprietary multithreading and graphics layers). The software controls some scientific device, collects, processes and displays experimental data in real time and stores data for later analysis. About 2 years ago or so I think I was shocked to discover that they're still using said device and the software in unmodified form running it under DOSBox or something like that

bigger_cheese 7y ago

There is more software out there than just desktop apps. At my work there is code from 1980's written for IBM mainframe in PL/I language still running. Has seen minor changes over the years but very much 40 year old code at the heart of it. This code has basically had continuous uptime since then. I work at industrial plant I have heard not uncommon for Banks, insurance companies, power plants etc to have similar setups with same vintage of software. We have C and C++ code from the 90's originally written for RS/6000 era Unix boxes. That stuff is pushing 30 now. still actively maintained. There is Fortran with genesis dating back to 80's still being run today. A 30 year lifespan for industrial equipment is not uncommon it would be nuts to replace control software and things like that so often.