I hear you. My point, though, is not that tedious work is necessary. But rather that one has a fragile system indeed if one rouge programmer can cause havok. When I work with the Microsoft Word OLE/COM object, there is NOTHING that I can do to that code that will harm that code. *IT* controls what happens within its boundries/domain/module.
VistA/M seems to have essentially two levels of security. Programmer level, and then user level. Once someone has programmer access, they can do ANYTHING. This can be good and bad. I just had a flashback to Marty quoting that programming with other structured languages was like holding hands with your girlfriend at the Sunday social. While M was like having sex with your best friend's girlfirend on the back of a motorcycle. i.e. wild, dangerous, and perhaps a lot of fun. LOL! Kevin --- Cameron Schlehuber <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Kevin, you're absolutely right! It is tedious! But > not documenting things > that are necessary for the interactions between > packages (aka services) > would surely lead to errors and chaos if programmers > just went ahead and did > whatever they wanted. (And that's indeed how Class > III code sometimes is > done!) > > When time, programmer resources and functionality > demands are tight we do go > to the extent of documenting such relationships. > Also, in the VistA/M > environment there are system-wide variables that can > be most useful and are > also documented as being "Supported" (that means any > app can use them as > documented in the IA). As you have already learned, > applications such as VA > FileMan, Kernel, Toolkit, Mailman, etc. have a > rather significant list of > such "function objects" (of various kinds) each of > them are formally > recorded in Integration Agreements so that everyone > can know their status. > > Several decades ago it WAS a free-for-all. > Developers like Bob Lushene felt > it was their privilege to poke around in any > application's data regardless > of whether they had approval to do so, lot alone > whether they were even > doing it "right". Even the tedious stuff gets > formally documented ... or > else it's "off limits". Better to document what's > needed than to let > programmers pick up whatever they find lying around > and expect to have to > support it! Documenting even the most trivial > interface detail establishes > responsibilities for the short and long term. > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > On Behalf Of Kevin > Toppenberg > Sent: Tuesday, May 24, 2005 2:56 PM > To: hardhats-members@lists.sourceforge.net > Subject: Re: [Hardhats-members] Question on updating > the database > > Sigh... I know that much has been done with M in > vista, but this system of setting down written > agreements of which programs can access this or that > global variable seems tedius and error prone. > > I am used to being able to create an function object > that encapsulates its private details, and then > exposes an interface that anyone in the world is > welcome to use. > > But we work with what we have. > > Kevin > > --- Greg Woodhouse <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > > > Of course you're right. This doesn't give OE/RR > the > > right to do this > > anywhee they want, just in one particular > situation. > > I misspoke. > > > > --- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > > > I expect that the USAGE: Private, means no other > > > subroutines and process may use this component. > > > > > > The Protocol Menu may be talking about an entry > in > > the > > > PROTOCOL file with a TYPE="M" (MENU) > > > > > > > > > > A practical man is a man who practices the errors > of > > his forefathers. --Benjamin Disraeli > > ==== > > Greg Woodhouse > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------- > > This SF.Net email is sponsored by Yahoo. > > Introducing Yahoo! Search Developer Network - > Create > > apps using Yahoo! > > Search APIs Find out how you can build Yahoo! > > directly into your own > > Applications - visit > > > http://developer.yahoo.net/?fr=offad-ysdn-ostg-q22005 > > _______________________________________________ > > Hardhats-members mailing list > > Hardhats-members@lists.sourceforge.net > > > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/hardhats-members > > > > > > > __________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new Resources site > http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/resources/ > > > ------------------------------------------------------- > This SF.Net email is sponsored by Yahoo. > Introducing Yahoo! 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