I think anyway
Sodom
Bill Roh
Bob Hartwig wrote:
> Would an appropriate analogy be the difference between a computer's
> BIOS/OS/device drivers and it's application software? There is no
> difference from the CPU's perspective, but it's useful for the application
> developer to treat the low-level system services as an abstraction, not
> necessarily to be dealt with directly.
>
> If this analogy is a good one, we may wish to consider a few other aspects
> of the different levels of abstraction in software:
>
> - For the application developer, it is actually a *good* thing to treat
> the OS services as a black box. Because of the complexity of application
> software development, the OS or device driver internals would only serve as
> a confusing distraction.
>
> - For the device driver or system level software developer, it is not
> necessary to be well versed in, or even aware of the applications'
> functionality.
>
> - The two must agree on a well-defined, well-documented public interface,
> a set of methods or function calls where the application meets the OS or
> device driver.
>
> - A really good software team should have one "architect", or "guru" who
> understands the system from the highest levels of abstraction to the
> lowest. This rare alpha-geek is often considered the most important member
> of the team.
>
> Just a few thoughts,
> Bob
>
> At 12:18 PM 8/11/98 -0400, you wrote:
> >I have met Wade, he is definately off the deep end, Tim too. We are all
> >swimming there somewhere, but like in "Marco-Polo" we are blind.
> >
> >Its kind of strange to feel a "need" to seperate form and function when
> >one cannot exist or be explained without knowing the other. It seems
> >that the only reason for seperation of mind and brain is for study.
> >
> >
> >
> >Sodom
> >Bill Roh
> >
> >Wade T.Smith wrote:
> >
> >> >On the contrary... only a fanatic would pretend there's
> >> >no difference between structure and functionality.
> >>
> >> Hmmm.
> >>
> >> I must be fairly fanatical.
> >>
> >> *****************
> >> Wade T. Smith
> >> morbius@channel1.com | "There ain't nothin' you
> >> wade_smith@harvard.edu | shouldn't do to a god."
> >> ******* http://www.channel1.com/users/morbius/ *******
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >