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Authors

Jocelyn Paine

Abstract

I revisit some classic publications on modularity, to show what problems its pioneers wanted to solve.

These problems occur with spreadsheets too; to recognise them may help us avoid them.

Sample

Building spreadsheets is programming.

It seems to be assumed that "end users" must be enabled to program without being taught programming's fundamental problem-solving techniques.

This is odd.

You would not expect to design and construct a hi-fi, or a car, or a banquet, or a garden, or a medical diagnosis, or a detective story, or a life drawing, without sound knowledge of your discipline's fundamental problem-solving techniques.

Why should spreadsheets be different?

Publication

2007, EuSpRIG

Full article

Fun Boy Three were wrong: It is what you do, not the way that you do it