[Tutor] C++, Java, Python, metrics, etc. (was Re: Re: small program in Python and in C++)

[alan.gauld@bt.com]

> RCS?  Don't you mean CVS? ;-).  You don't put all your files in one
> big directory and work on them one person at a time, now do you?
> (I'm just picking on the limitations of RCS that CVS solves)

Actually I do mean RCS because for a maintenance team 
parallel development is rarely necessary. To maintain 
3,500,000 lines of C++ we only had 8 of us, one being 
the team lead (me, who wasn't officially allowed anywhere 
near code :-) and another the build manager/regression 
tester. So only 6 programmers per se, usually working 
independantly on their own bugs/changes. Since we 
released patches at least once a week the extra features 
of CVS were rarely needed and the warning of parallel 
working that RCS gave was a positive advantage.

Nowadays we actually use much heavier weight tools 
like ClearCase and Continuus ($$$$$!) which incorporate 
change control and fault reporting tools along with 
version control.

In the same way the capture of metrics is all done by 
commercial tools bought for the purpose and fully 
integrated with the CM tool. Thus we can ask it to 
generate the metrics for release X.Y and it will 
examine the change logs and dump the stats....

The advantage of working in a large organisation is they 
can afford such luxuries - in fact they become cost 
effective. The disadvantages are obvious to readers of 
Dilbert....

Alan g