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after 25 years of programming by data dictionary i can assure you the
benefits in accuracy and productivity cannot be underestimated.
unfortunately programmers refuse by and large to give up procedural
control and the attitude you describe <emphasis>remains</emphasis> the
norm.
sad really as our estimates are that data programming is between 1 and 2
orders of magnitude more productive (in data based programming) than
procedural programming.
rick
On Mon, 2004-05-03 at 04:56, Bullard, Claude L (Len) wrote:
> It was the IDEs and the position that if the code validated the
> file, who needed a data dictionary? Just had that discussion
> with a programmer and his manager last week. The programmer
> considers it just a document to show a customer. Our certification
> chief has other ideas. Our manager thinks it is the best way
> to keep lots of independent minded, IDE equipped staff in line.
>
> len
>
>
> From: Michael Kay [mailto:michael.h.kay@ntlworld.com]
>
> > Worse, the "data dictionary" fad was heavily in force
> > in those days and even the vaguely meaningful "LYNR" was being
> > replaced by indecipherable crud like "A0942B"...
>
> I'm surprised at this perception. My recollection is that when data
> dictionaries were popular, everyone knew they had to call it
> "LAST_YEARS_NET_REVENUE" rather than every programmer making up their own
> cryptic abbreviation; what's more, every screen that it appeared on used the
> same validation rules. I've always felt that the data dictionary was one of
> the good ideas of the 1980s that we've lost. An XML Schema is a partial
> substitute, but a very poor one.
>
> Perhaps it's another European idea that never really caught on in the
> States. Certainly, it was the advent of the RDBMS that caused its demise.
>
> Michael Kay
>
>
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