(jeffa) Re: Re-inventing the wheel is a 'Good Thing'

[jeffa]

Good points, but i do have a problem with not telling someone "Don't re-invent the wheel!" Finding out why they are trying to re-invent it first, then making the judgement call is better - but 9 times of out 10 the person in question does not realize that their problem has already been solved.

Just a nitpick, i would have prefered the title "Re-inventing the wheel is not always a 'Bad Thing'". =)

jeffa

learning++

[Felonious]

Good points, but i do have a problem with not telling someone "Don't re-invent the wheel!" Finding out why they are trying to re-invent it first, then making the judgement call is better - but 9 times of out 10 the person in question does not realize that their problem has already been solved.

I agree. And 9 times out of 10, once they know it's already been done, they'll use it. I'm just encouraging people, If they've got the time and want to improve their skills, not to let people dissuade them from pursuing something that might ultimately further their understanding of programming.

Just a nitpick, i would have prefered the title "Re-inventing the wheel is not always a 'Bad Thing'". =)

That's exactly the title I gave it when writing it:P I remembered some advice from somewhere though that it is more appealing to "argue" a positive than to "argue" a negative, so I renamed it.

-- O thievish Night, Why should'st thou, but for some felonious end, In thy dark lantern thus close up the stars? --Milton

[tomhukins]

9 times of out 10 the person in question does not realize that their problem has already been solved

True, but even if someone realises their problem has already been solved, they may not choose the best solution. One of the main problems facing Perl is that the first Perl code/tutorials/books people often encounter are badly written. Many newcomers learn Perl badly, but are unaware they're doing so.

If you choose to reinvent the wheel for any reason, point people towards better solutions. This prevents anyone using your code because they're unaware anything better exists.

[BUU]

Unless of course *gasp* you write a better solution...

[Anonymous Monk]

Wheels don't get to be standard unless many people have looked at them and decided that they are worthwhile. Any code that passes that test will be of sufficient quality that most people, most of the time, will not do a better job.

While there are people who consistently invent better wheels than the standard ones, the odds are very good that you are not among them.