In a candid reflection on the state of software development, the Editor-in-Chief for TDWTF shared a striking sentiment: "Computers were a mistake, which is why I'm trying to shoot them into space." This statement encapsulates the frustrations that many developers face when grappling with complex code structures and inefficiencies in programming practices.

At the center of this discussion is DZ's tech lead, who holds a doctorate in computer science. This seasoned expert is not just an academic; they are also passionate about coding. However, as many in the tech industry have observed, having a PhD often comes with ironic implicationsit's not uncommon to hear the term "Piled high and deep" used in jest to describe the overwhelming complexities that can arise from advanced academic training.

To illustrate some of the challenges faced, the tech lead presented a snippet of C# code that raises eyebrows rather than admiration:

private List ExtractListForId(string id) { List list = new List(); lock (this) { var items = _foos.Where(f => f.Id == id).ToList(); foreach (var item in items) { list.Add(item); } } return list; }

The function's primary purpose is straightforward: it aims to retrieve all elements from a list that share a specific ID. This goal should be able to be achieved efficiently in a single line using the LINQ method: _foos.Where(f => f.Id == id). However, the function complicates matters by unnecessarily iterating over the results and constructing a new list. This additional step serves little purpose, especially considering that LINQ evaluates the Where expression lazily by default. This means that unless the results are explicitly checked, the function doesn't execute its filtering logic right away.

Incorporating a lock into the function adds a layer of complexity aimed at ensuring thread safety, recognizing that the enumerator returned by Where isn't inherently thread-safe. While this precaution seems reasonable, it inadvertently highlights a more significant issue: the tech lead appears to have adopted multithreading without a clear strategic framework. The result is a codebase riddled with threads deployed haphazardly, resulting in a scenario where there is no defined ownership of any given thread. This lack of structure leads to excessive locking, frequent deadlocks, and an environment where debugging becomes an arduous task.

DZ's team has spent days untangling this convoluted codebase, and they anticipate that additional efforts will require even more time and mental energy. The complexity of this multithreaded tangle not only adds to the workload but also takes a toll on developer morale, as the struggle to maintain sanity amidst the chaos unfolds.