Another geek special...

**Churchill** · 16 June 2008, 14:23

So was the original version of the "Pegasus Accounting" Packages.

**Platypus** · 16 June 2008, 14:26

Originally posted by Churchill View Post

So was the original version of the "Pegasus Accounting" Packages.

Indeed.

You'd be surprised at what was (and still is) written in BASIC.

Churchill, did you work @ Pegasus then?

**Churchill** · 16 June 2008, 14:32

Originally posted by Platypus View Post

Indeed.

You'd be surprised at what was (and still is) written in BASIC.

Churchill, did you work @ Pegasus then?

Nope, just made a few quid resolving the 65,535 records issue for a couple of clients...

**Spacecadet** · 16 June 2008, 14:35

Originally posted by Churchill View Post

Nope, just made a few quid resolving the 65,535 records issue for a couple of clients...

upgraded them to 2007?

**Churchill** · 16 June 2008, 14:36

Originally posted by Spacecadet View Post

upgraded them to 2007?

Nope, this was 20+ years ago.

**Platypus** · 16 June 2008, 15:28

Originally posted by Churchill View Post

Nope, just made a few quid resolving the 65,535 records issue for a couple of clients...

Ha!!

It was 32767 records before I got there.

**Churchill** · 16 June 2008, 15:32

Originally posted by Platypus View Post

Ha!!

It was 32767 records before I got there.

Looks like there's some really old bastards on this forum...

**RichardCranium** · 16 June 2008, 18:46

Originally posted by Churchill View Post

Looks like there's some really old bastards on this forum...

The first non-COBOL system I worked on was an Invoice/Confirmation Matching System that had been thrown together by one of the sales team. (Those were the days - even the parasites could cut code.)

It was written in interpreted BASIC running on a RAIR Black Box, a CP/M machine. It needed some tweaking doing.

I converted all the counters and flag variables to integers% (where appropriate, of course), and made it fly as a consequence.

While I in there I realised the bespoke Julian date routine was going to die in about 4 years, in 1989. I got told to leave it - this was a software house after all.

It took me about four hours to change the code and I left a comment and a flag in there for the benefit of any future maintainer to the effect of:

Code:

11999  REM Julan date conversion
12000  REM GOSUB TO HERE TO CONVERT D1$ ... etc.
12001  REM ************************************************
12002  REM THIS IS WHERE IT WILL FAIL IN SEPTEMBER 1989 ***
12003  REM Change Crash% to 0 to prevent crashing       ***
12004  REM ************************************************
12005  Crash% = 1
12006  IF Crash% THEN
12010     original code
12nnn  ELSE
12nnn     my code
etc.

I got a call at my next job a few years later from the work experience lad that I had shared an office with. It had taken him 20 minutes to diagnose the fault, see my comment, change the flag and confirm it worked. He then spent the next 2 weeks titting about (probably playing Rogue on the Xenix box) and then said he'd fixed it and apparently they charged the client for four weeks consultancy for that.

**NickFitz** · 16 June 2008, 20:10

Originally posted by RichardCranium View Post

I got a call at my next job a few years later from the work experience lad that I had shared an office with. It had taken him 20 minutes to diagnose the fault, see my comment, change the flag and confirm it worked. He then spent the next 2 weeks titting about (probably playing Rogue on the Xenix box) and then said he'd fixed it and apparently they charged the client for four weeks consultancy for that.

That boy will go far. I predict a successful career as a contractor

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