Robin Meade wrote:
> Craig R. McClanahan wrote:
> [snip]
> > It's also not just the initial learning -- I need to train every new developer I
> > add for the lifetime of the application.
> >
> > There is nothing wrong IMHO with WebMacro (I have stronger feelings about some of
> > the half-assed implementations of template systems) -- but I have to wear my
> > "project manager" hat as well, and say what's best for the overall product. In
> > many cases, that means mainstream technology choices, quite independent of
> > technical "elegance" or "beauty."
> >
>
> Agreed. But how does a fledgling elegant technology ever become
> mainstream? Early adopters try using it, like it, and help give
> it some recognition. I believe this is what Jason Hunter is doing,
> and I thank him for it. Once developer interest reaches a
> critical mass, the technology quickly matures and becomes
> maintream.
>
That's exactly why you have not heard me lobbying against WebMacro (even though I don't
use it).
For personal-scale projects, you have the opportunity to experiment like this. (I
would
still personally choose JSP 1.1 because I like it better, and am disciplined enough not
to abuse embedded code -- but that's just my personal opinion.). For a large-scale
commercial project, technical elegance and beauty is far lower on the list of criteria
people should use. Maintainability for months-to-years into the future is MUCH more
important. Here, your choice of tools needs to take that future into consideration.
Even in the servlet engine world, many open source project authors don't seem to get it
... access to the source code interests only other developers. What about the people
who just want to use your creation as a tool? They want binaries, they want
documentation (byt the way, WebMacro is *much* better on this than most OS projects
I've
seen), they want to be able to hire developers that already know how to use it.
Open source software projects become mainstream when they have either (a) built up
critical mass among the early innovators (not easy); or (b) prove themselves to be so
technically superior, and so well documented, that they succeed on their own merits.
The typical examples of open source success stories tend to follow the latter model.
Craig McClanahan
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