Re:Nobody cares about your clean code
by nine_k on Tuesday April 27, 2021 @12:35AM
(#26952050)
If it happens years into production, especially after the load has increased or requirements have changed, it is a legitimate version 2 :)
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> it is a legitimate version 2
Maybe, but then the previous one was version 1, not a prototype. I've never seen people actually write prototypes, nor management accept time invested on writing prototypes, in any job I've had.
Prototypes always directly become version 1 on production, unless of course the whole project gets canceled mid-development.
I've seen rewrites introducing massive bughunts and upsetting customers without improving too much. I've also seen customers expecting and even relying on old bugs for comfort.
Rewrite is always a business decision and need legitimate reasons. You rarely have those reasons, knowledge and time between projects.
I like to remember how eBay have rewritten their backend three times.
Not because the previous version was wrong, but because it became inadequate as business grew and requirements changed.