Tech Volta

No doubtedly I think everyone is going to have to integrate new code with “old code”.  Unless you are working for a start-up with no coding baggage; I digress.  I think this goes beyond development into other areas.  Where one will have to infuse their style with an older order.  This discussion will only be software development related.

More times than not you are going to have to dig through old crappy code with no documentation.  In the realm of .NET there will be times when you have to integrate classic ASP, .NET 1.1, and .NET 2.0.  What a fun time!  PHP will have to be migrated with PHP 3/4 and PHP 5.  Oh our functions are now reserved words.  Good times.  The trick to doing this is to use the code and see how it works.  Whatever the previous coder thought does not matter; it is about code execution.  It’s the ones and zeros that you need to care about.

I feel integration is the most overlooked part of any job; be it Network Admin or Developer.  It’s fairly easy to troubleshoot and develop something brand new.  You have a clean slate, which gives you a lot of flexibility to make changes on the fly.  With “old code” it is supporting unknown features or bugs that could cause potential downtime or corruption.  To integrate with something of the past and to enhance is like a work of art.  It is breathing life back into an application or hardware.  I’m not trying to make this sound like some kind of miracle, but integrating new code with “old code” is very overlooked.

I am referring to old code as “old code”, it is not a derogatory statement, but a loose hand reference.  Just because code is aged does not mean it is of no value or doesn’t work that well.  Some of the best code is “old code” do you think COBOL is dead?  It is an old language, but the applications work like a beast.

Some of the newer languages make things easier and obsolete older more lengthy code blocks, but it doesn’t make it run better (okay sometimes).  It may be a bit sexier, but such is life.  The code will still achieve core functionality just not all the bells and whistles.  toot toot.