Watch a 20-minute conference talk from Dyalog '24 exploring the journey of transforming PxEdit, a statistical table management tool, from a temporary solution into a widely-used application preparing for open source. Learn about the evolution of this APL application from its Y2K origins at Statistics Finland through its unplanned growth and worldwide adoption for PxWeb databases. Follow along as Veli-Matti Jantunen details the challenges of refactoring legacy code filled with quick fixes and patches, discussing PX terminology, feature creep, documentation issues, and the impact of COVID-19 on development. Gain insights into improving code readability, setting up modern programming environments, and embracing continuous improvement while preparing legacy software for open source release.
Overview
Syllabus
Statistics Finland in figures
Part 0: Basics
PX Terminology
Part 1: Birth
Waiting for the end of the digital world: Y2K
"Can you guys add this feature?"
: Part 2: A quarter of a century later
PxEdit: features and worldwide usage
Under the bonnet
Where is the documentation?
Part 3: New Hope
Covid-19
Improving readability
Programming environment
Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection
Taught by
Dyalog User Meetings
