Cube with a blocked view.

The project from he...errrr...BC

I swear BC Smurf had to be involved in the writing of the app I'm currently trying to fix/enhance/rewrite from scratch. The last option being my current preference. Someone had to be smoking something to a) write this code b) allow it to pass testing and c) put it into production.

A form that is only available in the notes client includes javascript for the web, as well as an HTML header that is unnecessary. Copy and paste perhaps? I'm fairly certain that there is a javascript function that NEVER sees the light of day as it actually has a typo in it, but I'm trying to confirm this. It's in a script library with the comment "called on open of document in edit mode." Hmmm which document? Which form? Web? Notes client? QueryOpen? QueryModeChange? Perhaps on a subform?

Ah yes, there it is, on a subform...commented out. Perhaps the original developer couldn't get that little chunk of code to work properly so they commented it out. Or perhaps the requirement changed and the code is no longer required. We'll never know as said developer did not find it necessary to tell future geeks like me why that code has been commented out. Do I fix the typo...?

But wait! What's this...two subroutines in the library with the same name? Perhaps that "typo" is intentional. All right, raise your hand if you now understand the value of MEANINGFUL function/subroutine/variable names...

Raise your hand if you're from BC and would do this intentionally to confuse a poor, hardworking geek from saskatchewan.

Speaking of previous developers (apparently there have also been summer students involved)...Said previous developers determined that the tab order could not be set on the web because of the way the forms are created. My guess is they were referring to the use of subforms. Which is all well and good, but this put me in an awkward position when I piped up in a meeting with my PM and the client and indicated the tab order could be fixed and I was very tempted to do so. My PM told me it was impossible - something I heard a couple times in that meeting. So, back to my desk I came and voila - tab order is now set.

As to the other "impossible" tasks...not so much. They are time consuming to write, however and will not be included in this phase of the project. Now if only I could get the PM to not declare things possible that later turn out to be not so easily accomplished we'd be getting somewhere. I don't mind performing "miracles" to surprise a client. However, I do hate having functionality promised that can't be delivered in the timelines.

Where did I put that bubblewrap?

posted by Erin @ 10:15 AM