case and paste

programming (From "cut and paste") The addition of a new

feature to an existing system by selecting the code from an

existing feature and pasting it in with minor changes. Common

in telephony circles because most operations in a telephone

switch are selected using "case" statements. Leads to

software bloat.

In some circles of Emacs users this is called "programming

by Meta-W", because Meta-W is the Emacs command for copying a

block of text to a kill buffer in preparation to pasting it

in elsewhere. The term is condescending, implying that the

programmer is acting mindlessly rather than thinking carefully

about what is required to integrate the code for two similar

cases.

At DEC, this is sometimes called "clone-and-hack" coding.

[Jargon File]

(1996-03-01)