Policy Driven Programming

Policy Driven Programming

Scott Goretzke

POS/355

3/19/14

Gary Smith

Policy Driven Programming

What fickle things policies are; they drive the processes of daily routine and can outline the main ideals in a project. They align standards and allow for work to be done in a strategic and rule driven way; however those “rules” can get in the way of the real work. For all its glory, policy can hinder processes or ideals and really dictate how something is accomplished without input from anyone. The same can be said about software development, namely operating system development. While closed source systems provide a level of support that can only be received from the owners of the operating system, the open source allows for a freedom in development that really allows for user driven progress. The comparison can be lengthy; however some of the important differences can be measured in cost, support, and development style.

One of the most driving factors of a decision by consumers is cost. Cost ultimately determines whether or not a product is bought and used in a home or business. This determining factor varies depending on the type of source system that is developed. A closed source system capitalizes on this by presenting a product that is limited in developmental functionality. Users cannot change the product in any way and usually viewing of the code is strictly forbidden; furthermore changes and updates to the code and system are sold as a premium to the user. In contrast, in an open source system development can be viewed by all who wish to do so. This process usually requires that if a copy of the code is obtained for development that the newly developed code or enhancement is published and shared with the community. The cost is usually free and can be easily changed or updated by anyone with the skills to do it.

Support for the different system varies due to the resources available. In a closed source system the...