[MUD-Dev] Re: TECH: Distributed Muds

[J C Lawrence]

On Thu, 26 Apr 2001 14:08:49 -0700 (PDT) 
Brad Roberts <braddr at puremagic.com> wrote:

> Yes, it can be hard to see what's going on through many layers of
> abstraction, but that doesn't absolve the programmer from having
> to perform some due dilligence when writing code.

Abstractions layers are a Good Thing in that they reduce the
complexity of the contracts between code modules, and are thus (if
used properly (J2E <kof>)) an aggressive simplifier of designs and
architectural complexity.  The problem is that many people look at
an abstraction layer (which is really just a simplified
representation of a contract), and think, "Oh goodie!  Now I don't
have to bother understanding that!  I can just deal with the
external interface which is nice and simple and ignore the rest!"

Dumb Monkey.

Writing complex systems is Hard (Work).  The additions of
abstractions, interface definitions, and other forms of problem
segmentation etc etc yada yada are useful in reducing architectural
complexity and giving greater ability for unit testing etc during
development, but they don't remove the fact that you are inherently
dealing with a sympathetic system and if you're going to do anything
like a half arsed job, you damned well had better grok the
architecture and the implications of each interface, AND the context
that is lost across each abstraction.

Bad Monkey.

Identifying architectural techniqes as tar babies because
incompetants will hide behind the abstraction layer and assume that
the interface context is constant across all transactions because
the interface contract doesn't change across transactions is just as
smart as saying that standing in front of a Sherman tank and pulling
the trigger is the same as standing in front of a rubber band gun
and pulling the trigger because the interface definition of
pull_trigger() is the same.

<<Don't mean to pick on you here Brad.  You, umm, kinda happened to
walk into the middle of a currently happening war zone and got
caught in the crossfire>>

--
J C Lawrence                                       claw at kanga.nu
---------(*)                          http://www.kanga.nu/~claw/
--=| A man is as sane as he is dangerous to his environment |=--
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