Dunbar, Norman (Capgemini) wrote:

> Good luck. I'm an Oracle DBA in my day job, and I have to support any
> number of applications where the developers decided that the system
> could "run on any database backend unchanged" and also some where, like
> you, it was originally ISAM that was simply converted to use the
> database as a bit bucket/ISAM substitute.
>
> My assorted replies to the tick list would be: <tongue in cheek>
>
>
>
>>> ( ) That isn't the way we've always done it
>>>
> Doesn't make it right though, does it? - or -
> Well now it's time to do it right.
>
>

Tried that and got nothing but grumbling. Even tried "How come there is
never time to do it right but always time to do it over". You can
imagine how well that was received.

>
>>> ( ) We have several thousand programs to migrate and we
>>> can't afford to be making significant logic changes to all of them.
>>>
> Then why are we migrating? You tell me. Management have said that we are
> migrating and that means the code as well, or do you normally only do
> half a job? We can arrange for half pay to match if you wish?
>
>

Because we are losing customers because ISAM is "old fashioned".
Doesn't matter that it works and works well. Unfortunately the
programmers in question are also the owners of the company. So, threats
from management don't carry much weight. While they understand the need
to switch, they don't see it as anything but a pain-in-the-ass.

> </tongue in cheek>
>
> But then again, I'm well known for being stroppy and pedantic - even
> when wrong - but it sometimes works!
>

We must be half brothers or something. ;) I'm not afraid to start a
fight and sometimes I even win, but I have to choose my battles carefully.

> Seriously though, I wish you all the best in getting the developers to
> convert and "do it right" but I fear you will not have much luck.
>
>

Me too. :(



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