and I totally agree because I tell my staff the same thing, I told my students the same thing, I try to run my life the same way.....

I'm not sure in what types of environments you're in, obviously much more experience in coding and software side aspect.

I'm not trying to hang on an excuse, but I've only been in the current company for less than 2 1/2 months, basically no safety nets since I'm the only one on site who does ANY coding at all. I was orphened for 3 weeks in the first month due to business where I had to comb through directories of data to get up to speed on which end was up. They have been connected with overseas development since inception and here I come and given this momental task of "here is some source code" that was written specifically for this hardware X revisions ago, here is the completely redesigned EXISTING hardware, make it work, oh and we need it ASAP.

While normally I love a good challenge, I have to read through at least 4000 lines of code across multiple files that deal with RS232, I2C, ADC conversion, DAC convertion, Video manipulation using CPLD's, and the lovely Averlogic RBG encoder.......

While I say this not for sympathy or any other crutch, I firmly believe in what your guys are saying, but to read 920 page of an EBOOK on "code complete" as suggested and eventually will go over, or absolute proper naming convention.....what I've been given to start (including almost barely commented code)......I now have to figure out the logic of what was implemented, try not to break the pieces that do work, and then think dynamically of how the most efficient way of implementing all of these new functions......while I have to work directly with the director of operations in real time.......

While again, I told them specifically I'm not a C / C++ guru.....I've been given the keys/tasks of such a position. Fortunately they are very understanding and are allowing me to "come up" and that is a good thing. You folks have been very instrumental on some of that success.....so please don't take it wrong, but while I'd love to reprogram the dynamic array and for loop for the UART transmition......I'm just so overwhelmed that last night I said "screw this".....and will leave the function as it is.....side note: At some point I will revisit it.....but with all this looming...it makes it difficult.....

I personally do NOT want to have to do this twice, three times a lady..........but I guess life is about choices.....and this one is the fast way from A to D....

Ultimately...you guys are right....so anything I said above.....is really no excuse on my part.....it's just my situation at this point in time.