"What? Are you looking for logic?"

Day 64:

Still no data, although they promised it by 13:00.

14:00:
Kukkahattutäti (to Koodiorjatyttö): Shit, you still haven't gotten the data? I talked to TomorrowDude and he will send it by 15:30.

Kukkahattutäti (to Koodiorjatyttö, about the data): Mallitiedostossa tiedot ovat vain muodollisesti, ei loogisesti oikein. ("The data in the examples is only formally correct, not logically.")

Kukkahattutäti has given us some more exciting info about the data that she should have given us two months ago, and in some cases contrary to what we were told two months ago. Some things she did not know and told us to look it up in the data, which - have you guess it? - is still missing in action. Some things were really nice to know, such as that when the number of items in months do not add up for a year we should use the month info and not the year. Can't say much about data in detail here, but believe me, it sucks.

And we still haven't actually gotten it.

Still no data

Day 62, evening:

TomorrowDude: I thought you have a lot to do? We keep transferring the same files to make sure that scp really works. I'll send you the real data real soon now!

Koodiorjatyttö: Yes, we have enough to do and we'll have even more to do when you send us the data at the last moment.

Day 63:

Still no data, or information on how the data works.

Countdown: 5 days till the software is supposed to work.

Getting the data, part 2

Day 61, morning:

Koodiorjatyttö: Hey, can I have some real data?

Day 61, afternoon:

Koodiorjatyttö: Hey, can I have some real data? And here are the questions about the data we have.

Day 62:

The data appears, which I can guess from the fact that the date of the last change of files has changed. They do not communicate in any other way. The new data is totally identical with the old, which also means made-up and broken.

Koodiorjatyttö: Hey, we got two new files that are absolutely identical with the old ones. What's the problem and when are we gonna get real data?

The rest is silence.

The software is supposed to be tested and working by day 68.

There is no happiness in the world

Once one finds a perfectly good employer one meets customers from hell. Getting from them the data that our program is supposed to import is a lot of fun.

Day 1:

Koodiorjatyttö: Here is the IP, the username and the password. Can you put the test data there?

Day 5:

Koodiorjatyttö: Hey, can you put the test data there? It would be so nice to see it.
TomorrowDude: Sure thing. By tomorrow!

Day 7:

Koodiorjatyttö: Sorry to bother you again, just reminding.
TomorrowDude: No problem. By tomorrow morning!

Day 8:

TomorrowDude: Here is the test data. Kukkahattutäti can check if it is any good.
Koodiorjatyttö: Hurrah! Can you answer these questions about the data: ...

Day 29:

Koodiorjatyttö (to Kukkahattutäti and TomorrowDude): Can you answer these questions about the data: ...

Day 33:

ProjectManager(to TomorrowDude): Can you send us the newest version of the data? Preferably the real-life data.

Day 36:

Kukkahattutäti (to Koodiorjatyttö): Shit, forgot to answer. Sorry. Here are you answers. They are in red. (Sends email with answers that are incomplete and not red even if you look at the html source of it.)

Koodiorjatyttö is away, bosses are trying to get the data.

Day 55:

TomorrowDude: Here is the new version.

Day 57:

Kukkahattutäti (to TomorrowDude): Now might be the time to send the real data.
Koodiorjatyttö (to TomorrowDude): Here is the IP address of our new server, username and password. Can we have the real data?

Day 58:

TomorrowDude: Hey, the ssh-connection works! Wow! I'll send you the data tomorrow!
Koodiorjatyttö: Can you do it today? We kinda need it.
TomorrowDude: The data changed. I'll have to check it and I'll send to tonight.

Data appears, but it is not the genuine data but some made-up test data. Now we have the old test data, the new test data and the new specs that all contradict each other and contain a lot of redundant fields that also can and will contradict each other. Oh joy!

The XML tree of this wonderful document reminds me of the genealogy trees of some parts of my family, which resemble networks rather than trees. It's common in the Redneckland where parts of my family come from, but quite an achievement for an XML tree.