[dba-SQLServer]Architecture/how to do it advice

Mark,

You said "There are many ways to architect software, and standards exist
to keep everyone in the organization on the same page.  If the software
they create is to be maintained by your organization, it has to be made
to your standards."

Truer words were never spoken.  I've worked at some places that had no
software standards and trying to clean up the messes left by
contractors/former employees was no fun.  I remember one example where
it took me two weeks to figure out what a seven page procedure did.  It
was easy to see the procedure had been patched at least three different
times by three different people that used different naming and coding
styles, all different from the original.  Several of the patches
duplicated work of the original probably because the patcher couldn't
figure out where or how the existing code did it.

Charles Wortz
Software Development Division
Texas Education Agency
1701 N. Congress Ave
Austin, TX 78701-1494
512-463-9493
CWortz at tea.state.tx.us



-----Original Message-----
From: Porter, Mark [mailto:MPorter at acsalaska.com] 
Sent: Tuesday 2003 Jul 29 13:25
To: 'dba-sqlserver at databaseadvisors.com'
Subject: RE: [dba-SQLServer]Architecture/how to do it advice

I've noticed that some contractors can be very short sighted.  They are
there for a specific job, care only for that specific job, and do not
take the long term goals of the company at heart.  They can be very good
at what they do, but tend to do it using their own methodologies.  

There are many ways to architect software, and standards exist to keep
everyone in the organization on the same page.  If the software they
create is to be maintained by your organization, it has to be made to
your standards.  

Mark

-----Original Message-----
From: Mark L. Breen [mailto:subs at solution-providers.ie]
Sent: Tuesday, July 29, 2003 9:21 AM
To: dba-sqlserver at databaseadvisors.com
Subject: Re: [dba-SQLServer]Architecture/how to do it advice


Hello David,

I would agree with you entirely.  It is a mindset firstly, if you do not
have that mindset, you have trouble up ahead.

Secondly, that is what sprocs are for,

Thirdly, they probably could combine some of the sproc calls into lesser
return journeys which is better.

Fourth, what happens when the app builds up the volumes of data, it may
be OK now.

Fifth, if you let them away with it now, they start using cursors and
all sorts or other things,

Best aim for it to be right at the start at least.  Then when it goes
wrong, at least you are starting from a good position.

Finally, the so called experts must either have some really good reason
to develop their system that way, or else they are not experts.

Keep your nerve, you may be surprised how much you do know,

Mark