[Info-vax] What does VMS get used for, these days?

[Arne Vajhøj]

On 10/24/2022 4:42 PM, Arne Vajhøj wrote:
> On 10/24/2022 10:06 AM, Dave Froble wrote:
>> On 10/23/2022 7:18 PM, Arne Vajhøj wrote:
>>> On 10/22/2022 5:09 PM, Bill Gunshannon wrote:
>>>> When Banner was brought in to replace the custom apps on VMS at the
>>>> University it was understood upfront that everything was going to
>>>> change the users were the one's that would have to adapt.
>>>>
>>>> Compare that to where I worked in 1980 where I was tasked with
>>>> developing a microcomputer based data entry system to get the
>>>> "keypunch" people off the mainframe to free it up for production
>>>> and development work.  The first requirement was that what I was
>>>> to develop had to present itself to the users exactly like what
>>>> they had been using on the Univac-1100.
>>>> How times change.
>>>
>>> Usually adapting usage to the standard packages way of doing things
>>> is the smart approach.
>>
>> This is where Arne departs from reality ...
>>
>> He seems to believe in "lowest common denominator" ...
> 
>  > Reality is that some people suffer with poor tools, and if a well
>  > designed package can be found, it can be an improvement.
>  >
>  > The other side of that is that some people are working with tools that
>  > have been designed and refined over time to be exactly what they need,
>  > and anything else will affect their work, sometimes quite drastically.
> 
> Not really. I don't think you got the point.
> 
> It may make sense to pay for a custom solution tailored for
> specific needs.
> 
> It may make sense to go for a standard solution and use it
> the standard way.
> 
> What I am skeptical about is the approach of taking a standard
> solution and do extreme customization.
> 
> That sort of defies the point of the standard solution.

Let us as an example say that we have a custom application
with 1 million lines of code.

Let us say that there exist a standard solution with 5 million
lines of code which provides the same functionality plus a
lot extra (some useful - a lot irrelevant).

If the standard solution need 1% customization, then that
is only 50000 lines of code. And there may be a business
case. Obviously exact fit to requirements would need to
be evaluated, but potentially it could make sense.

If the standard solution need 40% customization, then
that is 2 millions line of code. And it seems very unlikely
that there is a business case. It would make more sense to
add to the custom application.

Arne