[ale] coding practices

[Geoffrey]

Jim Kinney wrote:
> I am having a disagreement with a procedure and am seeking other views.
> 
> A non-free app generates a data file from a database function (database 
> also part of the non-free app).
> 
> A third party application needs to scp that file elsewhere for further 
> processing.
> 
> The third party wants a "done" file to indicate the app has finished 
> writing to the file. That's not needed due to how the app does it's 
> write then a move to the final location. No problem to touch a done file.
> 
> Third party also wants the total row count in the data file appended to 
> the data file.
> 
> This is where I disagree. I would far rather put the additional data in 
> the done file and not alter the output in anyway.
> 
> Granted, adding the row count is trivial (wc -l filename >> filename) 
> and that last line will be nothing like the actual data lines. It does 
> make reprocessing the data files more complicated as they have to be 
> checked for the presence of the row count on the last line before 
> rerunning the import process again.
> 
> Other views?

Sorry, I completely agree with you.  You should never 'pollute' data 
with such information.

-- 
Until later, Geoffrey

"I predict future happiness for America if they can prevent
the government from wasting the labors of the people under
the pretense of taking care of them."
- Thomas Jefferson