Chapter 22
Performing Project Management Tasks
For many people who write simple applications using IDEAScript, the idea of it becoming a project is so far-fetched that they'd never even consider it. It's a fact that many IDEAScript applications won't start as projects. In fact, they'll start off as something simple that you write for your own use. You won't even consider use by anyone else as a priority and may even be tempted to hide your creation away. The problem with applications is that other people do eventually see them. If you've come up with something interesting, these gawkers will soon become users of your application. Word of mouth will eventually get the application into the hands of others and suddenly, you have a project. It happens all the time. In fact, many professional developers started by writing applications they planned to use only for their own needs. After a few applications, these hobbyists became full-time developers.
You may never become a full-time developer and your application may only warrant a few positive comments. However, it's important to always consider that your application might become popular and write it accordingly. A few extra minutes of planning can save you a lot of headaches tomorrow.
There are other reasons to work with your application as if it were a project. The most important personal reason is that people tend to forget. The code you fully understand today might look foreign tomorrow. Documenting your project is the only way ...
