On Reuse

Terry Raymond traymond at ids.net
Thu Jul 1 01:55:47 UTC 1999


On Wed, 30 Jun 1999 22:39:18, Lex Spoon wrote:

>Just because I needed a "POP component", and someone had written a "POP component",
>didn't at all mean I could just pick theirs up and use it.  (And likewise, just
>because I write "a linux sound module" and someone else writes "a linux sound module",
>they aren't necessarily duplicates!  There've been at least four such modules to go
>across this list, all with important differences).

Components can be reused effectively only after they have been reused a few times.
Very few people get it right the first time.

So think of it this way, if you pick up someone else's code and modify it for your
purposes and attempt to keep the changes general, then most likely it will be easier
for someone else to reuse.  Contributing to code development is not just writing
new code, it is also refining and improving existing code.

Terry Raymond
Crafted Smalltalk
(401) 846-6573    http://www.craftedsmalltalk.com





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