[AccessD] FMS Inc. Sourcebook

John,

>I hate to hammer on this over and over, but that is what a library is
for. 

LOL You LOVE to hammer on this!!

I think you misunderstand the purpose and use of something like code
librarian.  I agree with you about libraries in principle, but when you
build something that works one-off, you stuff the code into Code
Librarian as a template in case you need to do something similar.  It's
very handy for reference instead of trolling the internet for hours
looking for the right exanmple.  I don't know about you, but I'm not
omniscient enough to know that *this precise version of a routine*
belongs in a library so I can use it over and over.  I generally wait
until the usefulness is clear before I start building libraries.  Also,
libraries in Access can be a pain when you have to distribute them,
since they don't compile into a dll.  If your library gets deleted, you
are SOL.  And since libraries should be mdes, every time you "update"
one, you have to rebuild it.

Charlotte Foust

-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of JWColby
Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2007 5:58 AM
To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
Subject: Re: [AccessD] FMS Inc. Sourcebook

>I like it because then I can stop trying to remember what app I wrote a
given function in. When starting a new app, I usually load CodeLib and
then copy in several standard modules.

I hate to hammer on this over and over, but that is what a library is
for. 

Did you know that when Windows XP shipped it had SIXTY THOUSAND known
bugs and (more importantly) an unknown number of unknown bugs.  In order
to fix these bugs what does MS do?  Updates.  What do updates do?
Install a new "library" with bug fixes.  Can you imagine Microsoft
having to rifle through your installation of windows looking for the
lines of code that have a bug that they just fixed and fixing it
everywhere on 200 million computers?  It is a silly concept and we all
know that.

I am sure that you are convinced that you have no bugs in your code, but
statistics say 1 in 20 lines of code has a bug.  This can be something
gross such as never ending loop (which we mostly find immediately and
fix) to something subtle like loss of data from a type conversion or
something.  By cutting and pasting your code, you cut and paste your
bugs.  NOW you have to remember what apps you cut and pasted bugs into!
A referenced library allows you to fix a bug and simply insert that
fixed library into the project.  Since all your projects use your lib,
all your projects get your bug fixes when you insert a new lib.

I make it a policy that all GENERIC code goes in my library.  All
project specific code goes in the project.  If it is not used anywhere
else then it obviously does not belong in my library, however if it is
going to be used in any other project then it does belong in my library.

Libraries guys, NOT cut and paste modules.

And sorry Arthur, I am not picking on you.  I see LOTS of people talking
about "cutting and pasting" into their projects.  That is simply a no-no
in modern system design.

John W. Colby
Colby Consulting
www.ColbyConsulting.com