Backward compatibility defined



  • We have two applications that interface and communicate with each other.  For simplicity's sake let's call the one I work on JetApp and the other one Fubar1.  My software is completely customized, and Fubar1 was designed to be "turnkey", so when they designed the interface we let the Fubar1 people dictate the interface specifications.  This was years ago, but they decided to implement two way communications with two ip sockets.  Fubar1 talks on port 1 (for example, not really port 1 IRL) and listens on port 2.  We wrote our device driver to comply with that.  

    We recently tried to upgrade a customer from Fubar1 to Fubar2, which is a complete rewrite/whole new app.  But they tried to make it so that you could plonk Fubar2 in the place of Fubar1 without changing the interface or re-coding anything.   They missed.

    Fubar2 initiates a connection to Jetapp with the old two-port scheme.  After it is able to send one message and recieve one message, it drops the port it was sending on (port 1).  From that point on, it talks AND listens on port 2.

    I can't figure out why they couldn't just drop port 1 altogether and work like any other tcpip interface, or keep the two port scheme the way it used to be.  They actually think this is backward compatibility!



  •  Obviously this a high-performance app.  They want to use two sockets to double their bandwidth througput.  It sounds like Fubar2 was a big step backwards, with only half the bandwidth.



  • @morbiuswilters said:

    It sounds like Fubar2 was a big step backwards, with only half the bandwidth.

    Not exactly half, the first message still goes through the other port!



  •  Exactly!  And no, actually it's not a high-performance app.  It's a small-text-message bursty app.  Could function quite adequately with a 2400-baud modem.  (Not that you'd want to, but I'm just sayin...)

    I forgot to mention another WTF:  we didn't get informed about this new interface until after we'd sold Fubar2 to a customer on the basis that it replaces Fubar1 without any coding changes.  



  • @jetcitywoman said:

    bursty
    Why does it turn me on when you say that?



  • @jetcitywoman said:

    we didn't get informed about this new interface until after we'd sold Fubar2 to a customer on the basis that it replaces Fubar1 without any coding changes.
     

    Ah, rookie mistake ;) You were actually under the impression that anyone besides yourself could be competent.  My many years of experience have given me a glowing god complex and the insight that everyone but me is an incompetent meatbag.
    When you begin with the assumption that everything you haven't touched must be broken in some way the world makes a whole lot more sense.



  • @stratos said:

    When you begin with the assumption that everything you haven't touched must be broken in some way the world makes a whole lot more sense.
     

    Not a good assumption for me.



  • @stratos said:

    When you begin with the assumption that everything you haven't touched must be broken in some way the world makes a whole lot more sense.

     

    When you come to the realization that everything you have touched is broken too, you begin to approach enlightenment ;-}



  • @jetcitywoman said:

    []...] Fubar1 was designed to be "turnkey" []...]

    There was obviously a typo in the design document for the first version, and they decided to fix that in v2. No WTF there.



  • @robbak said:

    @stratos said:

    When you begin with the assumption that everything you haven't touched must be broken in some way the world makes a whole lot more sense.

     

    When you come to the realization that everything you have touched is broken too, you begin to approach enlightenment ;-}

     

    In fact, I'd go a step further. I think the best engineers are not just those who can instantly recognize all the various edge-cases and WTF-situations in which the code is broken, but are also capable of prioritizing them so that they’re not wasting their time working on a scenario that’ll never happen, but they *do* cover all the scenarios that are likely to come up.

    (P.S. Among the hundreds of other things broken about Community Server? It completely busts the spell-checker in Firefox. I had to type that in Word just to correct spelling.)



  • @blakeyrat said:

    Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE
    MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */
    table.MsoNormalTable{mso-

    <wbr>style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-<wbr>size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-<wbr>size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;<wbr>mso-style-priority:99;mso-<wbr>style-qformat:yes;mso-style-<wbr>parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;mso-para-margin-top:0in;<wbr>mso-para-margin-right:0in;mso-<wbr>para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;mso-<wbr>para-margin-left:0in;line-<wbr>height:115%;mso-pagination:<wbr>widow-orphan;font-size:11.0pt;<wbr>font-family:"Calibri","sans-<wbr>serif";mso-ascii-font-family:<wbr>Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:<wbr>minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-<wbr>family:"Times New Roman";mso-fareast-theme-font:<wbr>minor-fareast;mso-hansi-font-<wbr>family:Calibri;mso-hansi-<wbr>theme-font:minor-latin;mso-<wbr>bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:<wbr>minor-bidi;} [...] I had to type that in Word

    Yes, we noticed.



  • @blakeyrat said:

    (P.S. Among the hundreds of other things broken about Community Server? It completely busts the spell-checker in Firefox. I had to type that in Word just to correct spelling.)
    Right click the text field and select "Check spelling".  I believe FF automatically disables the spell checker with all rich-text fields.



  •  trest harlo hjfarl

     @Xyro said:

    @blakeyrat said:

    (P.S. Among the hundreds of other things broken about Community Server? It completely busts the spell-checker in Firefox. I had to type that in Word just to correct spelling.)
    Right click the text field and select "Check spelling".  I believe FF automatically disables the spell checker with all rich-text fields.

    Yah, that don't work.

    "Check Spelling" is a checkbox. It's checked. I tried unchecking it, then checking it again. Still no spelling errors highlighted. And for the record, Firefox correctly checks spelling on other sites I use with rich-text fields.

    I also find it incredible that anybody would leap to defend this clearly-broken forum software.



  • @blakeyrat said:

    Yah, that don't work.

    "Check Spelling" is a checkbox. It's checked. I tried unchecking it, then checking it again. Still no spelling errors highlighted. And for the record, Firefox correctly checks spelling on other sites I use with rich-text fields.

    I also find it incredible that anybody would leap to defend this clearly-broken forum software.

    Really? Wow, I had no idea Firefox had so many subsets of behavior.  I use FF 3.6.something on three computers with different environments (XP, Ubuntu 9.10, and Xubuntu 7.10) and each one has its own unique traits. I've never seen spell checking behavior disparity, but I guess that gets added to the list, too. It always disables checking on rich-text fields for me. I don't understand it.



  • @blakeyrat said:

    I also find it incredible that anybody would leap to defend this clearly-broken forum software.

    It's a version from 2007. Community Server has been renamed after the 2008 version into telligent Community, which is now in the 5.5 version. And yeah, thats Community Server 1, Community Server 2, Community Server 2007, Community Server 2008, telligent Community 5. An upgrade might probably help already. A bit.



  • @Xyro said:

    Really? Wow, I had no idea Firefox had so many subsets of behavior.  I use FF 3.6.something on three computers with different environments (XP, Ubuntu 9.10, and Xubuntu 7.10) and each one has its own unique traits.
     

    This is 3.0.19 on Vista, if that helps.

    I don't use the cutting-edge version because I need older versions to test with. (We put 3.6 on a co-workers machine, and we have the IE6 VM running 2.0.x. 1.x is SOL as far as we're concerned, though.)



  • @derula said:

    @blakeyrat said:
    I also find it incredible that anybody would leap to defend this clearly-broken forum software.
    It's a version from 2007. Community Server has been renamed after the 2008 version into telligent Community, which is now in the 5.5 version. And yeah, thats Community Server 1, Community Server 2, Community Server 2007, Community Server 2008, telligent Community 5. An upgrade might probably help already. A bit.
     

    It couldn't hurt, but I'm guessing that upgrading this beast is a little more complicated than WordPress' "push the button, wait 5 minutes, then visit the DB update page" method.

    Anybody familiar with Community Server? You should volunteer to help Alex roll-out an update, and save our sanity.



  • @blakeyrat said:

    It couldn't hurt, but I'm guessing that upgrading this beast is a little more complicated than WordPress' "push the button, wait 5 minutes, then visit the DB update page" method.

    I'd guess update in general shouldn't be that much harder, but probably the theme would have to be re-done. Also, licensing terms have changed, i.e. upgrade might not be possible.



  • @blakeyrat said:

    @derula said:

    @blakeyrat said:
    I also find it incredible that anybody would leap to defend this clearly-broken forum software.
    It's a version from 2007. Community Server has been renamed after the 2008 version into telligent Community, which is now in the 5.5 version. And yeah, thats Community Server 1, Community Server 2, Community Server 2007, Community Server 2008, telligent Community 5. An upgrade might probably help already. A bit.
     

    It couldn't hurt, but I'm guessing that upgrading this beast is a little more complicated than WordPress' "push the button, wait 5 minutes, then visit the DB update page" method.

    Anybody familiar with Community Server? You should volunteer to help Alex roll-out an update, and save our sanity.

    They got rid of the free version, so we're not upgrading anytime soon.  There was a thread about this in GD.  Either write a replacement (for free) or start up a donation to upgrade.  You'd also have to volunteer to fix the front page stuff, because that's something Alex wrote that integrates with CS and will probably break in an upgrade.  Have fun with that.

     

    Personally, I like the forum software.  Yes, it's shit, but it's such entertaining shit.  And, really, what the hell is the big deal?  The flaws are annoying, but is anybody really suffering because they have to make a few mistakes before they learn to work around the bugs?



  • @morbiuswilters said:

    Personally, I like the forum software.  Yes, it's shit, but it's such entertaining shit.  And, really, what the hell is the big deal?  The flaws are annoying, but is anybody really suffering because they have to make a few mistakes before they learn to work around the bugs?

    QFT.



  • @morbiuswilters said:

    Personally, I like the forum software.  Yes, it's shit, but it's such entertaining shit.  And, really, what the hell is the big deal?  The flaws are annoying, but is anybody really suffering because they have to make a few mistakes before they learn to work around the bugs?
     

    Try using it on an iPhone.

    It's *possible*, I'll grant you. But I think it's a good (and sadly rare) thing when software engineers give a fuck about usability.



  • @blakeyrat said:

    Try using it on an iPhone.

    Sorry, I have a penis, so I won't be using it on an iPhone.  I'm also not going to use it on a purse, a tampon, a Sex and the City marathon or that black eye I got after I wouldn't stop running my stupid mouth while Morbius was trying to enjoy some beers.

     

    @blakeyrat said:

    But I think it's a good (and sadly rare) thing when software engineers give a fuck about usability.

    I care for usability for my customers.  The fact that the forum software on a website devoted to software engineering WTFs is a big WTF itself is amusing.


  • Discourse touched me in a no-no place

    @derula said:

    @morbiuswilters said:
    Personally, I like the forum software. Yes, it's shit, but it's such entertaining shit. And, really, what the hell is the big deal? The flaws are annoying, but is anybody really suffering because they have to make a few mistakes before they learn to work around the bugs?
    QFT.
    A++++++ Would use again to rip the piss out of.



  • The software certainly has character, no one can argue against that. Is it open source? I reckon it shouldn't be THAT hard to fix up the more irritating parts of it, at least the client-side junk. I mean, just ripping out the Javascript that goes out of its way to screw up the text fields would be a lovely improvement.



  • @derula said:

    @morbiuswilters said:
    Personally, I like the forum software.  Yes, it's shit, but it's such entertaining shit.  And, really, what the hell is the big deal?  The flaws are annoying, but is anybody really suffering because they have to make a few mistakes before they learn to work around the bugs?

    QFT.

    While I agree with this in full, I'm not discarding the possibility of getting new entertaining bugs and WTF material.



  •  What about using (at last) that unbreakable (though wtf-ey on your part, as it seems) spell-checker that has been embedded in your brain years ago by a grumpy old teacher ? It has a wonderful feature you'll like as soon as you start to use it : it upgrades on its own ! the more you read/write without a grammar-bot thinking for you, the more it improves...



  • @toshir0 said:

     What about using (at last) that unbreakable (though wtf-ey on your part, as it seems) spell-checker that has been embedded in your brain years ago by a grumpy old teacher ? It has a wonderful feature you'll like as soon as you start to use it : it upgrades on its own ! the more you read/write without a grammar-bot thinking for you, the more it improves...

    "Sounds like a theory, detective."

    Pboerlm wtih taht is: Our biarn rdeas cemolpte wdros itaensd of ltreets. Sgnile lfet out or spewpad ltertes mhigt jsut epcase our sneess.



  • @toshir0 said:

     What about using (at last) that unbreakable (though wtf-ey on your part, as it seems) spell-checker that has been embedded in your brain years ago by a grumpy old teacher ? It has a wonderful feature you'll like as soon as you start to use it : it upgrades on its own ! the more you read/write without a grammar-bot thinking for you, the more it improves...

    Or why don't we treat brains the way we treat important people, and not bog it down with pointless bullshit so it can work on more important things?

    Like generating lolcat captions.



  • @blakeyrat said:

    Or why don't we treat brains the way we treat important people

    Even better, let's treat important people the way we treat BRAAAAAAIIIINNNSSSS

     



  • @DaveK said:

    @blakeyrat said:

    Or why don't we treat brains the way we treat important people

    Even better, let's treat important people the way we treat BRAAAAAAIIIINNNSSSS



    Enclose them tightly in a tight bone shell, and supply them with ample supplies of blood?


  • @blakeyrat said:

    supply them with ample supplies of blood?
     

    "supply with supplies."

     

    That's not very good style, you know.



  • @dhromed said:

    @blakeyrat said:

    supply them with ample supplies of blood?
     

    "supply with supplies."

     

    That's not very good style, you know.

    You missed "tightly in a tight".



  • @blakeyrat said:

    @dhromed said:

    @blakeyrat said:

    supply them with ample supplies of blood?
     

    "supply with supplies."

     

    That's not very good style, you know.

    You missed "tightly in a tight".
     

    Enclose them tightly in ample supplies of blood, and supply them with a tight bone shell?
       There, now everyone's happy!



  • @blakeyrat said:

    @DaveK said:

    @blakeyrat said:

    Or why don't we treat brains the way we treat important people

    Even better, let's treat important people the way we treat BRAAAAAAIIIINNNSSSS



    Enclose Enshell them tightly in a tight bone shell made of bone, and amply supply them with ample blood supplies of blood?
     

    FTFY.



  • @blakeyrat said:

    Or why don't we treat brains the way we treat important people, and ...

    Important people ? never met one more important than another...

    @blakeyrat said:

    ..., and not bog it down with pointless bullshit so it can work on more important things?

    To write properly is... pointless bullshit ? now that's a weird opinion for someone like us all on TDWTF who lives on some (hypothetic) language skills (however in our cases it involves more directly "programming" languages... i'm shocked nonetheless ^_^ )



  • So you program with no memory aids? No intellisense? No quick reference cards on your cube wall?



  • @toshir0 said:

    Important people ? never met one more important than another...

    Oh, there are less-important people.  If we ever perfect human cloning we'll introduce you to one.



  • @morbiuswilters said:

    @toshir0 said:

    Important people ? never met one more important than another...

    Oh, there are less-important people.  If we ever perfect human cloning we'll introduce you to one.

    Are you saying that an imperfect clone would somehow be more important?


  • @bstorer said:

    @morbiuswilters said:

    @toshir0 said:

    Important people ? never met one more important than another...

    Oh, there are less-important people.  If we ever perfect human cloning we'll introduce you to one.

    Are you saying that an imperfect clone would somehow be more important?

    What?  No.  You are on crack, boy.  It was a roundabout way of saying I'd introduce him to himself, thus showing him an unimportant person, thus burning him.



  • @morbiuswilters said:

    Oh, there are less-important people.
    This whole concept of "less-importance", not relating to anything, not the "less important than this or that", is, in fact, very interesting. I love to think of the way you'll want to compare this attribute for different persons : "Oh yes it's right, this one is even more *less-important* than the other !"

     (but to be honest* i'm glad you explained the roundabout ^^ I didn't catch it at first read)

    * not as if I had a fame to defend here ^^ I'm too newbie to gain respect/honorability by my knowledge and you flame me at the slightiest move... lol. But I'm ok with that I love this site nonetheless ^^



  • @blakeyrat said:

    @DaveK said:

    @blakeyrat said:

    Or why don't we treat brains the way we treat important people

    Even better, let's treat important people the way we treat BRAAAAAAIIIINNNSSSS



    Enclose them tightly in a tight bone shell, and supply them with ample supplies of blood?
    OK, he's clear.

     



  • @morbiuswilters said:

    @bstorer said:

    @morbiuswilters said:

    @toshir0 said:

    Important people ? never met one more important than another...

    Oh, there are less-important people.  If we ever perfect human cloning we'll introduce you to one.

    Are you saying that an imperfect clone would somehow be more important?

    What?  No.  You are on crack, boy.  It was a roundabout way of saying I'd introduce him to himself, thus showing him an unimportant person, thus burning him.

    I know that, but why do we have to wait for a perfect clone?  Any clone of him, no matter how flawed, will still be utterly unimportant.


  • @toshir0 said:

    * not as if I had a fame to defend here ^^ I'm too newbie to gain respect/honorability by my knowledge and you flame me at the slightiest move... lol. But I'm ok with that I love this site nonetheless ^^

    Dude... you are even less self-confident than me. That's why I like (to flame) you. Also, everyone gets flamed here, it's our standard. It's not to piss off cool people like you, but not-cool people like me. Well didn't work in my case unfortunately.



  • @toshir0 said:

    ^^

    Toshir0, whenever you use those ridiculous carets to express your pathetic emotional state, I think of this:

    [IMG]http://imgur.com/7UENz.png[/IMG]

     

     

    Your carets are an insult to Mr. Mifune.



  •  Wow.

    Seeing that was awful. I'll really consider your point.  (;'-Q)



  • @derula said:

    @toshir0 said:
    * not as if I had a fame to defend here ^^ I'm too newbie to gain respect/honorability by my knowledge and you flame me at the slightiest move... lol. But I'm ok with that I love this site nonetheless ^^

    Dude... you are even less self-confident than me. That's why I like (to flame) you. Also, everyone gets flamed here, it's our standard. It's not to piss off cool people like you, but not-cool people like me. Well didn't work in my case unfortunately.

    Oh what the shit, I was just following your lead.  I thought you were the cool one!



  • @toshir0 said:

    (;'-Q)

    Winking guy with a bowl cut, a scar under one eye and a cock that's just a bit too big in his mouth, causing a trail of drool down his supple cheek.


  • :belt_onion:

    @toshir0 said:

    Seeing that was awful. I'll really consider your point.  (;'-Q)
    You call that a smiley?



  • @morbiuswilters said:

    Oh what the shit, I was just following your lead.  I thought you were the cool one!

    The More You Know


  • @bjolling said:

    @toshir0 said:

    Seeing that was awful. I'll really consider your point.  (;'-Q)
    You call that a smiley?


    Try (xx). It draws an old-school Xbox in Live Messenger.

Log in to reply