[dchichkov]

Let me surprise you, with the code quality that sometimes is running in what is actually 'life-critical' software.

Back in the nineties, I wrote a nice piece of some 300kb of C code, for DOS/x86. It was a complete software package, controlling medical equipment that was testing speed of blood coagulation. These tests are crucial in the patient post-operation recovery.

This piece of C code had some hardware control code, some statistics, a bit of math, some visualisation, GUI, etc. Normally, you'd imagine a team of 2-3 people, carefully written test cases, dedicated QA person, and a year of time to write something like it. And independend lab, that would certify the thing. Well... in that case, yes, there was independent certification... but...

It was just one developer, and I was 13, when I wrote it ;) During after-school time, in around 4-6 months. And I must say, I still sometimes have chills, when I think of the code quality, and, um, unorthodox solutions of 13-year-old myself. Yes, I've had some years of experience at the time, both writing software and designing hardware, and advice from my parents, who both could write software. But, at the time, I've had zero formal training, aside from reading K&R and PC XT manuals ;). So, you might imagine the code quality ;) Even, no need to imagine, I actually still have it somewhere in the archives :)

[Keyframe]

Quite a story! I wrote a program for a dentist office (not my dentist) when I was 13 and got paid! It was a program to track their patients and stuff though, nothing critical. What was peculiar about this was that the dentist asked me if I can write the software in Turbo Pascal. That's the only language he, kind of, understood and he wanted to maintain it later when I write it. I didn't know Pascal, I only knew C at the time, but I accepted the challenge and wrote my first and only program in TP. It was kind of elaborate, especially for a 13 year-old, but also fun (BGI!).

[state]

I understand why you probably don't want to put it up, but boy would it be fun to look at the code you're describing.

[dchichkov]

I probably will put it up. It's a nice inspirational story for teens out here. Doubt there'd be any repercussions, no one cares about some random code on GitHub. And the equipment is hopefully taken out of service years ago, it was more than 20 years back. I wish I knew how long it had been used, but there've been only about 10-20 units sold, I think.

I vaguely remember adding extra features for a year or so (like adding support for HP laserjet printer). But one of the founders of the company (on the business side) had some health problems, and I guess that had played role in very small number of units sold. The only feedback that I've had, is pretty much that my father took me to a lab once, that had a unit deployed, for a support call. And I've seen some real printouts with patient names, from the unit. The lab assistant seemed to be happy with the device. I remember them showing me some blood plasma and teaching me to count cells, during lab tour ;)