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There could be larger codebases that are under active development but contain some ancient source files that no one dares to touch any longer. If the latest co
by fauigerzigerk 3y ago
There could be larger codebases that are under active development but contain some ancient source files that no one dares to touch any longer.
If the latest compilers were to stop supporting old code then some new code could be cut off from further compiler upgrades as well.
- tialaramex 3y ago> that no one dares to touch any longer. This though highlights a grave problem. Rather than code which everybody understands (which could easily be re-written for a newer language) this is code which nobody understands. Replacing this code is in fact urgent.
- layer8 3y agoReplacing the code may be in fact impossible exactly because nobody understands it, while it still fulfills a vital business function (or sometimes a vital hobbyist function). There is a lot of code like that out in the world.
- jrpelkonen 3y agoIn this particular case the change required (K&R to ANSI C) is such a mechanical exercise anyone with a modicum of C experience can perform successfully. We’re not talking about decades of taxation rules encoded with COBOL here.