Detail first? Or Big Picture?

What do YOU do when your classic VB project is nearing completion? Do
you spend a few days "tidying up"? Removing those redundant comments
that could be confusing rather than helpful if left in? What is your
development style? To address the details first and build your product
from them; or look at the big picture and decide how the application
is going to be used, knowing that the details will sort themselves out
later?

I am firmly in the latter camp. I always build some scaffolding, hang
some windows and doors off them (controls), stand back and contemplate
the overall look at feel. Maybe I'll remove a window and add a
chimney. Or change the angle of the roof pitch, or the colour of the
bricks. All these bricks and mortar are a metaphor for my "school" of
design - Rapid. Application. Development. Can't be rapid enough in my
book. I know of others who spend weeks designin' away, with ne'er a
sign of any application taking shape. But they are happy. They keep
their RAD picture in their heads. Fair enough.

Now I am approaching the end of my project, well, its initial
prototype at least, and I am in the process of removing those
redundant comments, removing obsoleted procedures or functions called
OldMakeLongInt or SearchString_2, which a sudden insight when I got
down to the details made me think of a better way to do something.

I am completely comfortable with my approach, though I know others
won't be. Finally, I'll probably add line numbers and error handlers
everywhere, though as I have long since had an add-in to automate this
task, it won't be the chore it once was.

MM
.

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