Software Tips

Look to the future.

Check to see if the software has a good chance to be supported in the future. Be wary of:

• Free Software. The problem with 'free' software; the writer gets no money from it so there is no ongoing support. After his initial burst of enthusiasm he moves to other things or goes back to school. And on-going support IS needed.
• Lack of source code. (Not necessarily free source, just the availablilty of source if needed) Be very leery of software that does not come with or advertize the availability of source code. Be extremely reluctant to use any such product as the basis for something that will need to work for more than a couple of years, because the chances are very high that such a dependence will cause problems down the road. It matters not hether the product is free or is sold for money. The problem occurs with products from failed or otherwise terminated businesses, as well as abandoned products from on-going concerns; it is not exclusive to free software. The main difference between free and commercial software, when distributed without source, is that free software tends to rattle around on ftp sites long after support has ceased to be available, which often results in confusion or disappointment. Abandoned commercial shrink-wrap software on the other hand, rattles around in discount bins for years, frequently causing monetary loss in addition to the disappointment. Commercial software sold only by mail order or web download is probably the least likely to cause problems for new customers... it is only customers who bought before the business closed who are harmed.
• Companys and Authors that just came on the scene and have no history of supporting thier products. There are free source products that are supported and that continue to grow. Wouter's JAL is probably a good example of a sourceless free product that continues to be well-supported, but there are counter-examples all around.
  

If A equals success, then the formula is A = X + X + Z where X is "work", "Y is play", and Z is "keep your mouth shut" - Albert Einstein

Debugging

PIC Microcontroller Port Pins

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