Software Engineering (was Re: Java)

[Bryan Sant]

On 2/14/07, Michael Brailsford <brailsmt at yahoo.com> wrote:
> How funny, you equate professional with documenting code.  I about fell out of my chair laughing so hard...

Yes, a true professional "software engineer" will follow software
engineering best practices.

Proper code documentation is critical.  Where I work, documentation
and unit tests are required.  Code and documentation is peer reviewed.
 This hasn't aways been the case with every company I've worked for,
but everyone has desired good documentation -- they just didn't
necessarily enforce it.

> Most professionals in my experience think that the "code is documentation".  Its a big macho thing.  I guess I am too stupid, and I always ask what exactly they were thinking

What kind of a slip-shot company do you work for?  What a joke.  I'm
not saying that this isn't common, but the attitude of your co-workers
disqualifies them as high caliber professionals in my book.

> Who knows, maybe I just have had a bad experience, landing at the companies I have worked for.  No, I'm pretty sure my experience is normal, I am experiencing first hand just exactly what "The Cathedral and Bazaar" is all about.

There is open source code with good documentation and a whole lot more
with no documentation.  If you're holding up open source as the
standard for good documentation, I'd say you're using a very selective
eye.  Open source is great, but obviously there is no standard that
any project is held to (other than self imposed quality standards).
The good/popular OSS projects typically have good clean code with
consistent code style and documentation.  The other 90% of OSS
projects are just goo that someone threw out there.

Quit your current job and find a real software shop to work at.

-Bryan