docs/unix-phil

changeset 12:018d5f9a2993

wrote about upgrowth and survival (ch03)
author meillo@marmaro.de
date Sat, 20 Feb 2010 23:54:43 +0100
parents b32a43a62cae
children c665b9e7bf8a
files unix-phil.ms
diffstat 1 files changed, 39 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-) [+]
line diff
     1.1 --- a/unix-phil.ms	Sat Feb 20 15:24:40 2010 +0100
     1.2 +++ b/unix-phil.ms	Sat Feb 20 23:54:43 2010 +0100
     1.3 @@ -533,11 +533,47 @@
     1.4  .SH
     1.5  Upgrowth and survival of software
     1.6  .LP
     1.7 +So far it was talked about \fIwriting\fP or \fIbuilding\fP software.
     1.8 +Although it is just a verb, it does imply a specific view on the work process
     1.9 +it describes.
    1.10 +The better verb, however, is to \fIgrow\fP.
    1.11 +.PP
    1.12 +Creating software in the sense of the Unix Philosophy is an incremental process.
    1.13 +It starts with a first prototype, which evolves as requirements change.
    1.14 +A quickly hacked shell script might become a large, sophisticated,
    1.15 +compiles program this way.
    1.16 +During its lifetime, it will get extended, rearranged, rebuilt (from scratch).
    1.17 +Growing software matches the view that ``software is never finished. It is only released.''
    1.18 +.[
    1.19 +FIXME
    1.20 +gancarz p.26
    1.21 +.]
    1.22 +In this view, building a software is an evolutionary process;
    1.23 +it begins with the initial prototype and ends when the software is not used anymore.
    1.24 +.PP
    1.25 +Successful software is used by many for a long time.
    1.26 +This implies that the software is needed, useful, and better than alternatives.
    1.27 +Darwin talks about: ``The survival of the fittest.''
    1.28 +.[
    1.29 +FIXME
    1.30 +.]
    1.31 +Transferred to software: The most successful software, is the fittest,
    1.32 +is the one that survives.
    1.33 +The fitness is affected mainly by three properties:
    1.34 +.IP \(bu
    1.35 +portability of code
    1.36 +.IP \(bu
    1.37 +portability of data
    1.38 +.IP \(bu
    1.39 +range of usability
    1.40 +.IP \(bu
    1.41 +reuseability of parts
    1.42 +.LP
    1.43 +foo
    1.44  
    1.45 -portability
    1.46 -
    1.47 +.PP
    1.48  text files
    1.49 -
    1.50 +.PP
    1.51  reuse of independent parts
    1.52  
    1.53