Coder Lee Yongho - Chapter 4

APRIL 27, 2016 KOBATOCHANDAISUKI LEAVE A COMMENT

“A coder who only does the implementing according to the specifications given by advanced technicians.”
“Aren’t they programmers all the same?”
“You’ll know if you get in society.”
After finishing the conversation quickly, Sung Kyu sat down in front of the computer. And YongHo sat next to him.

“Hyung, I can just put it over Tomcat(a type of server), right?”
“Yeah, no problem.”
“Are you going to create the DB(database) too?”
“Yeah, I’ll need about 5 tables.”
“What’s the address and account for the DB?”
“Give me a sec.”
It wasn’t the first time they cooperated, so their rhythms matched. They were like two gears that meshed well.
“I can just rearrange and put the API(Application programming interface, a kind of agreement between the server and the client) on the existing document, right?”
“Yeah, let’s do it that way.”
If Sung Kyu surpassed an ordinary college student’s ability, YongHo had no ordinary ability either for a college student. Although it was only a small scale project, He understood well the process of how the finished programs came out. It was all thanks to working with Sung Kyu.
‘Let’s look at the bug window.’
After getting the tasks sorted out, YongHo looked at the bug window. It was only at the starting phase but one or two bugs could be seen.

***
The work went smoothly.
“Hyung, it’s going well, isn’t it?”
“I don’t see a problem with it.”
“Then I’ll test it on the scalaphone.”
“Let’s do that.”
Indroid app itself could be run on many different phones. So when they started working, they were specified a few target terminals. If no bugs happened on those few terminals, it didn’t matter whether other phones could run it or not. YongHo uploaded the program on the phone and ran it.

–       Program ending due to unexpected error.

“What the hell? ANR(Application Not Responding)?”
“Why is this happening?”
“Yeah, it’s strange. On other phones it just works fine.”
YongHo pretended he didn’t know the reason for the ANR but he already knew through the bug window.
OS version clash.
The problem was with the Indroid’s OS version. The version of OS of scalaphone was too outdated to support the newest UI(User interface: basically, program screen).
YongHo pretended to search the internet for a while and asked Sung Kyu as if he just remembered something.
“Hyung, Did you perhaps use the latest UI? Apparently, it says that sometimes if the version of the Indroid OS is too low, it won’t support the latest UI and will cause errors.”
“Really?”
Sung Kyu was searching the internet with the error log from the connection between Eclipse and the scalaphone. After listening to YongHo’s words, he stopped searching, commentized the latest version of Action Bar UI and ran the program again.
“It really works… wow, it seems like I would have wasted a few hours again if not for you.”
“If it was Hyung, you would have solved it quickly.”
“But how did you know without even looking at it?”
“I seem to remember a similar thing happened a while ago.”
“Oh, you are really more capable now, Aren’t you?”
“You would be surprised more and more.”
Even YongHo was surprised that it was actually fixed. At first he thought it was a coincidence. Second time, he lifted the doubt from his heart. The third time, He was starting to be assured. He got rid of the thought to visit the psychologist.
‘I’ve hit it big this time.’
The Bug window.
He was surprised again at the function of the bug window.

Sung Kyu and YongHo were standing in an office in Gasan Digital Complex.
*Ding Dong*
After pressing the bell, a female employee opened the door and greeted them.
“What is your business here?”
“Oh, we are the programmers for the chatting app.:’
“Come in.”
Sung Kyu got his part time work from an outsourcing website even though he could find work through his connections. As he was only a college student, he didn’t put a high bottom line for his pay, and perhaps because of that, he could find work easily. The work this time was from an outsourcing website as well. After entering, they could see an office around 20 Pyung(≈66m2) with around 5 people working.
“This way.”
Following the lady, they could see a man in his middle 40s sitting on a place surrounded by screen dividers. It was the president who requested the work this time.
“Good day to you, Mr. president.”
“Oh, nice to meet you, the one next to you is……”
“My junior from the same department.”
The president’s words were short. YongHo’s face stiffened. At Sung Kyu’s introduction of him, he bowed his head.
“Good day to you, sir.”
While they were conversing, the lady brought two chairs.
“Oh, nice to meet you, please sit.”
The president went into the main point as soon as they sat down.
“I’ve checked the APK(Application Package: The download file for the android program) that you set me.”
After posing himself, he continued.”
“It errors on my phone.”
“Error? Sir?”
“Yes, it doesn’t even run.”
The president handed his phone. Sung Kyu tried to run the chatting app that was installed in it.
-Program ending due to unexpected error
It was ANR. The president raised his voice triumphantly.
“See? It doesn’t work.”
“……”
“This, I can’t give you the money.”
The president tried to stealthily feign ignorance. If he really wanted it to work, he would have told them as soon as the error occurred. However, by leaving it until today, it was the same as saying that he didn’t want to pay the money.
“What?”
“It errors, how can I give you the money? Don’t you think?”
“It works on my phone perfectly. Please check.”
Sung Kyu handed his phone to the president. But the president didn’t even receive it.
“So what if it works on yours?”
“……”
“I said it doesn’t work on my phone? It’s not like I don’t want to pay you.”
“You should have told us as soon as the error occurred. Then we could have fixed it and sent it to you again.”
“I only got to know of it today too.”
Kang Sung Kyu bit his lower lip.
“President.”
“Why? Are you perhaps thinking I’m doing this because I want to rip this small amount of money off you? That’s just nonsense.”
Sung Kyu clenched his fists hard at president’s words. YongHo put his hand on top of Sung Kyu’s clenched fist.
“Hyung, isn’t this the same error as last time?”
YongHo knew exactly the kind of thing were happening in the president’s phone as soon as the chatting app started running, through the bug window.
After checking, it was OS version clash again.
“Oh! The OS version clash in that scalaphone?”
The fist that was grabbed by YongHo started loosening.
“Yeah, we should check the OS version.”
The product ID for president’s phone was the same as the scalaphone that caused the error. YongHo checked in the settings menu. The OS version was even older than the scalaphone.
“Sir president, This is not a problem of our program.”
“What?”
“It’s not the program’s fault, the problem’s with the phone itself.”
“What nonsense are you talking about? You are saying it works on some, and it won’t work on others?”
Sung Kyu was speechless at president’s words. He basically had no understanding of Indroid app developing. Sung Kyu took out the contract paper from his bag.
And with *bam* he put it on the table.
“Moreover, the contract specifies the terminal and OS it needs to work on. President’s phone doesn’t fit the specifications.”
“Doesn’t support? What nonsense are you talking about?”
“Here, have a look.”
Sung Kyu pointed to a location on the contract. There, a list of phones in which the app should run in was written. Scalaphone was not listed.
“So you’re saying I should pay you even though it doesn’t work?”
The president snorted as if speechless. Sung Kyu was also getting tired of president’s stubbornness.
“I don’t know about that. If this doesn’t work, then no pay.”
The president spoke with a kill-me-but-I-won’t-give-you-money expression. The program and the source was already in the company’s hands. The president had nothing to lose.
“So you are breaching the contract, sir?”
“If you don’t like it, then sue.”
“……”
Sung Kyu’s face started to turn red. YongHo, on the side, couldn’t hold back any more and stood up.
But suddenly, someone kicked opened the door to the conference room.
*bang*