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Published Jan 26, 2022

Software keeps Evolving and is Never Done // Beyond Coding Podcast #37 - Patrick Akil & Jessica Kerr

Join Patrick Akil and Jessica Kerr as they delve into the relentless evolution of software, emphasizing the balance between code duplication and innovation, and confronting the challenges of modernizing legacy systems to adapt to an ever-changing technological landscape.
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  • Legacy Issues

    Legacy software presents unique challenges as it must evolve with the changing world or risk becoming obsolete. explains that legacy is not just about the software itself but the relationship between the software and its users, highlighting how companies like PayPal face difficulties due to backward compatibility and external dependencies 1. She notes, "Legacy is the property of the relationship between the software and whoever's trying to use it or change it or interact with it."

    Legacy is the property of the relationship between the software and whoever's trying to use it or change it or interact with it.

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    adds that while legacy software is inherently useful, it can become a hindrance if not properly managed 2.

       

    Modernization

    Modernizing legacy software often involves deciding between rewriting or revamping existing systems. discusses the complexities of rewriting software, likening it to measuring a coastline that becomes more intricate the closer you look 3. He suggests that organizations often choose to rewrite because it seems simpler from a distance, but the reality is much more complicated.

    Software is like that. At a high level, that rewrites is like that little blob outline of England, and it seems perfectly approachable.

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    proposes a dual approach of both rewriting and revamping to achieve the best results, despite the apparent inefficiency 4.

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