The whole thing is obviously fucked up, but one thing that stuck out to me was this:
one of the translation of the word into german is “time note”
Technical names being oriented around specific localisations are one of my pet peeves. Particularly when I’m trying to explain something to an international colleague who doesn’t speak German and can’t find the relevant, unintuitively named objects. Bonus points when the name itself is in German.
The safety things were: check that the repository exists before calling it. If not exists create it.
I could see an argument here, depending on your business context, that a missing repository shouldn’t be a “silent” fail in order to catch potential data entry errors. If the assumption is that the folder will always be there, it might be worthwhile to throw if that assumption turns out to be false.
I had a “silent” fail logic built into one of my products that ended up heavily distorting the results when it eventually turned out that the input data was heavily skewed due to sloppy human work.
Of course, given the general situation, I assume that your solution was sensible in your case. The response of “shut up” doesn’t exactly sound like “there is a good reason we want this to fail if it isn’t there”.
Before trying to send a SQL Query to the Database, check that the connection is established and open.
Uhhhhh… So, like, basic SQL connection handling? And they took issue with that?
If ever anyone brings up the stereotype of Germans being hyper-accurate to the point of being anal, I think that company is the counterexample.
We are a german company with only german customers. That variable name wouldnt have shown up anywhere
fail check
In that directory are .DB and .PX files which it is supposed to connect to or with another function, clone them to a curtain directory of the users choice. Now i doubt i need to elaborate on where the problem could be if the directory path of the user doesnt exist.
sql connection
Yes
AND NOW THERE IS EVEN MORE!
Just as i wrote the earlier comment i got more FUN interactions with my boss :D
Told him these files seem to be damaged or faulty in some way. They cant be accessed via SQL querys. No select, no alter table, no drop, no delete, nothing!
So i spend the entire yesterday afternoon trying to firgure out what the issue could be. My boss doesnt belief they are corrupt (which i never said. I just put it as a possibility) because a Paradox file reader programmed with C++ can read them. Then he went on an angry writing about how dare i test with similar files with which i tested the functions so faar because it is easier to see changes in a 3 row table, than a 2374 row table. And rejected the idea these files could be different versions. Then i broke a bit, litterly showed him that they are 3 different paradox versions and told him that “i must be halucinating it all just the same as the meeting”
I got this as a reply:
“Please keep communication technical.” Instead of making the version selection dynamic, i got told to hard code it all. So: making 3 DIFFERENT CONNECTION STRINGS!!! AND 3 DIFFERENT EXTRA INSTANCES FOR ALL OF THEM!! On one hand they laid me off for not enought skills, now they get mad i am constantly keeping everything dynamic and in accordance with basic coding principles! Mind you, he told me to hard code the versions and the entire connection string in the first place! And instead of drawing the entire connection string from the registry, only the directorys path from there.
I replied this:
“sure yes you can hard code everything. You’d just go against basic coding conventions. The way i am being treated is making it hard staying technical. Even when the versions are being hard coded it doesnt resolve the problems with the files. But like you demand i wont say anything anymore and try magic to fix these files.”
It is REEEAALLY hard for me not to tell him to fuck off or march out of the office
My boss’ reply:
“CREATE A CONNECTION. NOTHING ELSE”
I didnt know i spoke mandarin! I must be, because NO WHERE did i say i cannot create a connection to these files!
So i wrote 2 whole things, explaining all analytical steps i took and again that i didnt say i can not connect to the files but the files cant be altered
Connection: yes
Query: no
They do want to make me go crazy, im telling you!!!
I am SO glad now that i got kicked. Idk why SUDDENLY this is happening. My assumption is that he, due to that snake collegue, views me of a dumb idiot and so ofc naturally antagonises me in his mind and treats me automaticly in this manner now.
I wish they’d put me on leave like i asked when i got told i get laid off.
Sorry but this can not NOT be on accident this behaviour.
It frustrates me so much the fact i litterly gave them an instruction manual on how i need to be communicated with and it got just ignored. I knew from beginning of this whole sharad, they only play as if it were a fair decision making and chance of me not being laid off.
This company, and i know it, leaves me wanting to from now on build even less friendly ties to collegues of future companies
The whole thing is obviously fucked up, but one thing that stuck out to me was this:
Technical names being oriented around specific localisations are one of my pet peeves. Particularly when I’m trying to explain something to an international colleague who doesn’t speak German and can’t find the relevant, unintuitively named objects. Bonus points when the name itself is in German.
I could see an argument here, depending on your business context, that a missing repository shouldn’t be a “silent” fail in order to catch potential data entry errors. If the assumption is that the folder will always be there, it might be worthwhile to throw if that assumption turns out to be false.
I had a “silent” fail logic built into one of my products that ended up heavily distorting the results when it eventually turned out that the input data was heavily skewed due to sloppy human work.
Of course, given the general situation, I assume that your solution was sensible in your case. The response of “shut up” doesn’t exactly sound like “there is a good reason we want this to fail if it isn’t there”.
Uhhhhh… So, like, basic SQL connection handling? And they took issue with that?
If ever anyone brings up the stereotype of Germans being hyper-accurate to the point of being anal, I think that company is the counterexample.
We are a german company with only german customers. That variable name wouldnt have shown up anywhere
AND NOW THERE IS EVEN MORE! Just as i wrote the earlier comment i got more FUN interactions with my boss :D
Told him these files seem to be damaged or faulty in some way. They cant be accessed via SQL querys. No select, no alter table, no drop, no delete, nothing! So i spend the entire yesterday afternoon trying to firgure out what the issue could be. My boss doesnt belief they are corrupt (which i never said. I just put it as a possibility) because a Paradox file reader programmed with C++ can read them. Then he went on an angry writing about how dare i test with similar files with which i tested the functions so faar because it is easier to see changes in a 3 row table, than a 2374 row table. And rejected the idea these files could be different versions. Then i broke a bit, litterly showed him that they are 3 different paradox versions and told him that “i must be halucinating it all just the same as the meeting” I got this as a reply: “Please keep communication technical.” Instead of making the version selection dynamic, i got told to hard code it all. So: making 3 DIFFERENT CONNECTION STRINGS!!! AND 3 DIFFERENT EXTRA INSTANCES FOR ALL OF THEM!! On one hand they laid me off for not enought skills, now they get mad i am constantly keeping everything dynamic and in accordance with basic coding principles! Mind you, he told me to hard code the versions and the entire connection string in the first place! And instead of drawing the entire connection string from the registry, only the directorys path from there.
I replied this:
“sure yes you can hard code everything. You’d just go against basic coding conventions. The way i am being treated is making it hard staying technical. Even when the versions are being hard coded it doesnt resolve the problems with the files. But like you demand i wont say anything anymore and try magic to fix these files.”
It is REEEAALLY hard for me not to tell him to fuck off or march out of the office
My boss’ reply:
“CREATE A CONNECTION. NOTHING ELSE”
I didnt know i spoke mandarin! I must be, because NO WHERE did i say i cannot create a connection to these files!
So i wrote 2 whole things, explaining all analytical steps i took and again that i didnt say i can not connect to the files but the files cant be altered Connection: yes Query: no
They do want to make me go crazy, im telling you!!! I am SO glad now that i got kicked. Idk why SUDDENLY this is happening. My assumption is that he, due to that snake collegue, views me of a dumb idiot and so ofc naturally antagonises me in his mind and treats me automaticly in this manner now.
I wish they’d put me on leave like i asked when i got told i get laid off.
Sorry but this can not NOT be on accident this behaviour. It frustrates me so much the fact i litterly gave them an instruction manual on how i need to be communicated with and it got just ignored. I knew from beginning of this whole sharad, they only play as if it were a fair decision making and chance of me not being laid off.
This company, and i know it, leaves me wanting to from now on build even less friendly ties to collegues of future companies