copy-and-paste (was RE: "sins" (aka, acknowledged language proble ms))

[Alex Martelli]

William "Billy" Tanksley writes:


> >The "cut and paste" style of "code re-use" is a
> >blight (and I've done enough code inspections
	[snip]
> The fact that it's so common implies something about it.
> 
The "common" attribute holds for prostitution, drug
and alcohol abuse, child molesting... -- what most
would take as the key implication of all of these
"commonalities" is that humans are a fallen race,
or other less-theologically-expressed but analogous
reflections on human nature.  This lack of perfection
need not imply a lack of perfectibility, though...


> >If Java's "no hiding" rule really discourages it
	[snip]
> I'm not sure that discouraging it is the right approach -- I think that
> making it unneeded is better.  OO gave a start at that; Aspect Orientation
> 
Not mutually exclusive; reducing effective demand for
goods and services which are deemed to be negative
externalities can and should proceed along both tracks
at once -- discourage _and_ provide alternatives (e.g,
road-congestion-pricing goes perfectly well hand in
hand with enhancements in public transportation).

"Tough on copy-n-paste, tough on the CAUSES of
copy-n-paste" is how Tony Blair might have chosen to
express it, had he happened to address the issue:-).


Alex