Newsgroups: comp.lang.smalltalk
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From: milod@netcom.com (John DiCamillo)
Subject: Re: Are there C++ vs. ST figures?
Message-ID: <milodDospBp.Erz@netcom.com>
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest)
References: <expertek.315.005A3A52@aone.com> <3144AEC6.678B@oose.com.au> <bastion1-1603960756320001@10.0.2.15> <Jan-1603961412150001@206.116.214.1>
Date: Sun, 24 Mar 1996 23:31:00 GMT
Lines: 28
Sender: milod@netcom8.netcom.com

Jan@Bytesmiths.com (Jan Steinman) writes:
>In article <bastion1-1603960756320001@10.0.2.15>, bastion1@netcom.com
>(Gregory & Jennifer Weston) wrote:
>> In article <3144AEC6.678B@oose.com.au>, Philip Haynes
>> <p.haynes@oose.com.au> wrote:
>> 
>> >I did a study a couple of years back where I wrote a system in C++ &
>> >then rewrote it in Smalltalk. ...

>> If you wrote in C++ and then rewrote in Smalltalk, you had increased your
>> familiarity with the problem, giving Smalltalk a distinct edge...

>Not according to Brooks. "The Second System Syndrom" from "The Mythical
>Man Month" states that developers get cocky after their first project of a
>certain type, and throw too many bells and whistles at the second one for
>it to be successful. This is from the sage who noted that "adding resource
>to a late project makes it later."

The "Second System Effect" does not apply to a simple re-write of the
same program in another language.  Brooks' observation concerns
the second *version* of a system -- the problem starts in analysis
and continues through design and implementation.

-- 
    ciao,
    milo
================================================================
    John DiCamillo                         Fiery the Angels Fell 
    milod@netcom.com       Deep thunder rode around their shores
