Pattern Matching in GISS/NASA ModelE Coding
In a previous post I gave an illustration of how GISS/NASA employees have implemented new and innovative ways to produce inactive code using the capabilities provided by F90/95. I had run across the following statements in routine DIAG.f:
EWATER(J)=EWATER(J)+EL !+W*(SHV*T(I,J,L)*PK(L,I,J)+GRAV
! * *HSCALE*LOG(P(I,J)/PMID(L,I,J)))
The ‘!’ in the first line is going to be very difficult to remember it exists and correctly maintain. Someone might come along and say, “I wonder what that’s doing in the middle of an executable statement.” and promptly un-do the comment. Or un-do the comment of the second line while overlooking the comment in the first line. That would make a screw up on several levels.
Today I have found many more examples of innovative coding by employees of GISS/NASA. It is clear that the NASA Software Quality Assurance procedures are ignored by GISS/NASA. It is equally clear that there are no Software Quality Assurance procedures being applied to the GISS/NASA ModelE code. None.
Update November 2, 2008 down near the end.
Models Methods Software 