Untangling Other Peoples Codes... Sheesh

[leiaah 0]

So I graduated and I got a job, right? I just finished my three-month training and I was immediately thrusted into actual work. I have a degree in IT and I got a job as a programmer, well sort of, it's more like an application implementor. Anyways, what I do is I implement a system that someone else developed. That someone else doesn't know anything about table normalization. Not that I'm an expert at normalization but it's just so freakin annoying the way tables have 46 fields and I have to guess which field is for what. Grrr! The system is coded in VB and he uses stored procedures in SQL Server. He doesn't give a d*mn if his system is so freakin slow when deployed in a network, he just thinks he's so high and mighty by doing that freakin system. His codes are soooo freakin disorganized that I grit my teeth everytime I have to look into it. It's a miracle how he got it to work. The worse thing about it is I have to customize the freakin system to fit the needs of the clients here. I probably wouldn't mind if I understand his code since I know the flow of the system already but I can't freakin decipher his work! It's like untangling an extremely tight knot. I know it's my job and I get paid for it and I'm probably just whining but aaaah! Deep breaths and counting to ten doesn't work for me anymore.

[Jeune 0]

Ah programming! didn't he put any documentation?or comments? i have to agree, it's hard to read code that's undocumented. How about trying to put comments yourself? I mean, you work with the code many times, so put some comments in it so the next time you read it, you wouldn't have to grit your teeth again.

[terminal2k 0]

it is surprising how many people in the it industry think they're damn good, and the general public thinks they are too but they really have no idea what theyre doing or how its affecting other people and systems. at my work most of the staff think our it department is great, but they can't even keep our websites running more than 90% of the time and even the internet connection for our office stops working at least once a week. and the amount of times they'll implement a change without properly testing it first and then we end up with bugs and problems everywhere.....anyway leiaah i feel your pain.

[gaea 0]

Heh, there's a phrase for that type of lousy coding--job security. ;P

[Madkat-Z 0]

Ugh, I know how that is. I try to keep my codes as organized as possible and I put in documentation everywhere, because either A: I would fail my class because my professor couldn't read it or B: I couldn't figure out what I was doing when I come back a day later to work on it.Thats how alot of people in every programming class I've taken have lost alot of points because they didn't put documentation in or the code looks like a two year old wrote it. I'm actually rather glad they are stressing that among students who take programming classes. I even keep my code organized and still put documentation in even for programs I write outside of class. I know classes are probably nothing like an actual work environment, but I still know your pain.

[Galahad 0]

Yeah, I know how it looks to go through other peoples code...I myself try to write as clean and as self-understandable code, but our brains function in different way, and what is obvious to me, might not be obvious to you, and vice versa...And yes, there are dozens of manuals on how to write "unreadable code", to ensure your job position, and make sure no one replaces you... That's a myth, and I don't know anyone who has saved his job this way...But, we all have to do our job, and... Untanglig a tight knot is just another one of them

[Sinari 0]

I guess this is just the challenge that you are given in life. People are all given something and that's their conundrum. Have you asked him about it and maybe asked him about consolidating it to be simpler to get more business and better feedback? How can he expect you to do a job that seems to be almost impossible and not want to help you out. He's paying someone else to do it so obviously he wants it done and will answer questions to get that far.

[ghostrider 0]

I absolutly hate going through disorganized code. Comments are necessary for other people to understand your work, and they really help with debugging other people's or your own software. I guess there are always people that will think their code is obvious in the way it works and not comment, or programmers that just don't comment their code because they're to lazy.

[FLaKes 0]

I have a hard enough time trying to decipher well or good documented scripts or programs, I really cant imagine what your job is like. Its really frustrating to do that in programming.

[elevenmil 0]

This is why I could never have a job like that.First of all I'm not the best at understanding code in the first place, I'm descent, but no master. I try to organize my work and changes that might be the one thing I do descently.But I do understand the frustration but hopefully as you gain experience in the workfield you will also climb the ladder and not have to work under such idiotic individuals.