BlackBox source code 'improvements'

From: Campbell, Robert D (UK Edinburgh) <"Campbell,>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2005 08:57:05 +0000

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Gérard Meunier recently suggested a change in the module HostPorts
to solve a Bezier problem. I do not know if the old code was
'wrong', or if his suggestion is 'correct'. This may be of
some interest (Fyodor, did it solve your problem?), but is
not directly relevant to my main point. I just use this as an
example.

Possibly some people made this suggested change, possibly some
did not. By the time that 50 such 'improvements' have been
suggested we may all be running different non-standard versions
of BlackBox.

Now suppose I download SubSystem 'Xyz' from Component Pascal
Collections. It has been developed on a different non-standard
BlackBox to my non-standard BlackBox, and all the other users
have 'tested' it on yet different non-standard versions.

What does this do to the reliability of Xyz? What does this
do to my confidence in Xyz - a slightly different question?

Now suppose I have difficulty developing a new Module. I write
to Oms for help. How can they find my problem if I am using
a version of BlackBox they did not write, and have not seen?
How can I expect them to?


I don't know the answers to these (difficult?) questions,
but prehaps they merit some discussion.


Cheers

Robert

ps - I am not blaming people for suggesting improvements, I
have already done it myself.

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Received on Tue Jan 11 2005 - 09:57:05 UTC