New language discussion?

[Max Kanat-Alexander]

On Tue, 30 Oct 2007 11:07:00 +1100 "Arthur Barrett"
<arthur.barrett at march-hare.com> wrote:
> We are currently working on a re-write of Bugzilla in C++ as a part of
> the EVS project

	I think we're all honored that you like Bugzilla enough to use
it as a base for your own project. However, I think a re-write,
particularly in C++ is an unwise move. Here's why:

	1. C++ is a much less flexible language than Perl, requiring
much more work to create a successful cross-platform application.

	2. C++ is rarely used for writing web applications nowadays.

	3. For the type of performance that Bugzilla users require,
the performance advantage is irrelevant, particularly with mod_perl
support in Bugzilla 3.0.

	4. Re-writing Bugzilla (particularly without consulting with us
or offering to contribute to Bugzilla itself) assumes that you know
just as much as we do, or more, about:

	* The history of bugs that people have encountered in Bugzilla.
	* The general needs of Bugzilla users.
	* The architecture and design of a bug-tracking system.

	5. You're going to experience the Second System Effect quite
intensely, particularly using C++, and particularly if you're basing
your efforts on the code base of older versions of Bugzilla.

	Please also keep in mind that "Bugzilla" is a trademark of the
Mozilla Foundation and that you can not use it in the name of your
product, or to advertise your product.

	I'm actually quite unaware what advantage you gain by
re-writing Bugzilla in C++. It would probably take less time for your
developers to become proficient in Perl than it would take to re-write
all of Bugzilla in a strongly-typed, compiled language.

	-Max
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