Interpreting Terrible Code

[apomb]

My latest project at work has brought me upon one of the most dreaded tasks in all of computer programming: debugging someone else's code.

Now, don't get me wrong, I like problem solving as much as the next guy, but trying to figure out why another person used substr() instead of regexps and something like

code:

do {     if($line =~ s/\,,/,unknown,/){} }while($line =~ s/\,,/unknown/); do {     if($line =~ s/\,/ /){} }while($line =~ s/\,/ /);

and there's not a single comment in the entire script, along with non-descriptive variables, it gets time consuming.

[Aziz]

Find him. The options are endless from there.

By the way, what sort of job do you do?

[md]

We works for OLGC, totally hush hush.

[edit] Apomb, treat small sections of code like black boxes; figure out what their output is for any given input - then write your own code that does the same.

[apomb]

yeah, i have come to that conclusion... i talked to the original student who wrote the code, and I've decided to use his code jsut as a template for the values that need to be extracted from the text file.

now, im not sure if that first part was sarcastic or not, so ill just agree with you that i do work for the OLG (formerly OLGC) and that i cannot divulge the specifics of my work.

[Tony]

md @ Tue Jun 17, 2008 8:05 pm wrote:

[edit] Apomb, treat small sections of code like black boxes; figure out what their output is for any given input - then write your own code that does the same.

This is very unit testing is important.

I guess it's unlikely that the original student has left any unit tests, so make sure to writes your well. Keep in mind that without knowing exactly what the "blackbox" code does, your unit tests do not guarantee complete accuracy (just a very high degree of certainty )

[apomb]

thankfully, its written in perl, which I understand well enough, thanks to wtd's perl whirlwind.

The structure of the code however is forcing me to do exactly that, and work with each section of code, re-writing them in proper and usable format.

[Zeroth]

Only way to do it sometimes apomb. Btw, whats OLGC? Or OLG?

[Aziz]

Ontario Lottery and Gaming (Commission) I'm pretty sure.

Lottery, Casinos, Race tracks, slots, etc fall under this.

[apomb]

indeed, you are correct Aziz.

[Aziz]

I applied for a co-op position at the Windsor Slots (at the tracks I think) last year. No word from them though.

[jeffgreco13]

It's not easy to get in here. You usually have to know someone that currently works in a corporate division (blackjack dealer doesn't count). But if you do get in than it's pretty fun taking 45 minute coffee breaks to visit apomb at his desk just cursing the terrible job the previous student did on the perl script he must now re-write haha

P.S His 19" monitor is one MONSTROCITY of a CRT.

[Aziz]

That's nothing, the network admin at my last job (Municipality of Chatham-Kent) had a 22" CRT.

I wished there was a compsci member that I went to school/worked with. Then I may have smart friends!

[jeffgreco13]

let's not get ahead of ourselves and say things like "apomb is smart".... hahaha

Anyway, FREE McD's COFFEE TODAY!!!!

[apomb]

jeffgreco13 @ Thu Jun 19, 2008 10:01 am wrote:

let's not get ahead of ourselves and say things like "apomb is smart".... hahaha

Anyway, FREE McD's COFFEE TODAY!!!!

easy on your superiors now, jeff

and im happy to say that i have successfully re-worked this perl script, actually two perl scripts that add up to 1000+ lines into one script wih double-duty.

Comments and all, I have managed to streamline it to a mere 650lines.

[jeffgreco13]

*Applause*