Originally Posted by
73qanda
Fergusd can you give some brief ( easily understood) examples of how high quality code is different from most code? Or how the process of writing/developing it is different? I have never been involved in computing at all so have little understanding of what the differences might be.
Cheers
In my past life I wrote code (albeit in the insurance industry). The differences include that I worked in the business for 20 years, knew what the requirements meant, and was able to relate face-to-face to the actuaries who designed the products. This helped because even if they were badly specified, I was involved in an iterative process of clarifying the specifications.
Such a job is best defined as an 'analyst-programmer', not just a pure coder. It helps the speed and accuracy of the process. And preferably not someone working on contract.
After all of that I was able to do testing (not my own code), because I knew the products, and knew the code. Obviously you need independent testers, but the deepest level of testing must specified in advance by people with knowledge of the systems and the code.
P.S. I came from an engineering background, but many of the principles of clear thinking are the same.