Geek Poetry: Converting Old Code...

Author: Kasper B. Graversen, 27/01/09
Keywords: Fun, GeekPoetry
Abstract: Geek Poetry: "Converting Old Code" poem.
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Geek Poetry: Converting Old Code...

Have you ever look at old code? I thought back on some of the conversions of old code to new code, and I couldn't help but jot down the following. 
Converting Old Code 
===================
Like dead wood under the desert sun becomes wrinkled and gnarled,
So will old code from decades past.
Algorithms from a different time.
Tuned for perfection on hardware architectures long surpassed in today's washing machines.

Converting must be approached with absolute delicacy.
HEPA-filters employed.
No detail must escape. 
No calculations go astray.

Cherished are the opportunities of mechanically line by line translation.
Understanding assumptions.
Shunning luring traps of "obvious optimizations".
Burking itching hands wanting to go n-layer architecture.

For this is a different world.
Strange do-while loops, breaks and goto's.
Multiple inheritance, global variables employed in view of even minuscule code-reuse.
Everything an "i", "j", "k". Lucky be the Hungarian-named "szNam", "us", or "aulClrs"!
Database table- and column-names restricted by 8 character limits.

Reminiscence of arcane wizard spells...



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