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Does code reuse actually happen?

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My friend John Miller posts an interesting topic on his blog. Does non platform code get reused? By platform I mean your typical class libraries (.NET framework libraries,MFC,ATL, Java class libraries, SDK's).

Largely, I dont think that it happens much because of a few factors:

  1. Non-platform code doesnt have the known good quality about it, platform pieces normally have a formal testing process and some level of support behind them.
  2. Lack of documentation, To reuse code you should understand it. Sometimes figuring out what a fragment of code is actually doing takes more time than writing your own
  3. Non platform code normally doesnt come as independent libraries. One of the worst things that can happen is that code is cut and pasted all over the place, The main problem with this? Maintaince. If a bug is found you can't fix it in one place
  4. For good or bad, the "Not written here" syndrome

While code reuse is a lofty goal, in reality, I haven't seen it happen much.

-Tripp