[mangler]

That's why you "Inherit a codebase", as opposed to "Build a codebase". People who maintain and people who build are... well... they're just different people. We do need them both, but, they are different. Which is why we need them both.

[flatline3]

I also build code rather large new products, too.

People that build with no regard for future maintainers are building code incorrectly.

It makes me happy when I hand off a code base and the receiving maintainer actually tells me that they appreciate how clear and understandable it is. That's a level of care I wish I always inherited.

Maintainers versus builders aren't different people -- that's just what intellectually lazy programmers tell themselves when they're making another mess for someone else to clean up.

[einhverfr]

I don't think that is necessarily the case outside a corporate environment. I inherited the SQL-Ledger codebase when we forked to LedgerSMB. Now I am using it as scaffolding to build a very nice, clean, powerful codebase in its place.