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Software Research Northwest (SRN): Great Software

1) Screens were defined externally to the programs.  Changing a screen did not require program maintenance nor compiling.  A utility could display and print the screen.  A utility could examine a screen for anomalies like overlaps or out of range conditions.

2) Initial values for records were kept externally to the programs.  In some cases, the values lived in a large master table of tables.  In other cases, the initial values existed in data base records having special keys or status values.

3) Headers for reports lived in external files.

4) Formats for reports often lived in external files.

5) Parameters for major processes lived in external files.

6) Most records in most files had effective dates and status values.

The opinions about SRN varied greatly,  My observation was that competent people enjoyed the software, and their support was top class when needed. Several universities ran comprehensive IT departments with small staffs.  Others complained that every transaction was indirect.  A programmer had to look at data tables and at the program in order to determine what would happen to a record.
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