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# "Old" is the New "New"
- URL: https://nolongerset.com/old-is-the-new-new/
- Published: 2023-08-18T21:34:33.000Z
- Updated: 2026-05-08T12:34:52.000Z
- Description: Do you have a software project littered with now-old items named "XxxxNew"? If you're determined to avoid doing it the right way, here's a less terrible approach.
- Author: Mike Wolfe
- Tags: Commentary, #Import 2026-05-20 02:59

Who among us has never updated an item using the following approach?

1. Make a copy of the item
2. Add the suffix "New"
3. Make the necessary changes to the "New" item
4. Come back five years later and still see a now-old item named "New"

I'll admit, I've done it more than once.

## A Less Bad Way

The best approach is to use version control so you can safely delete the old item while maintaining access to it and avoiding building up a bunch of [cruft](https://nolongerset.com/cruft-sale/).

But, at the end of the day, we're still programmers, and we're still lazy, and not *everything* can go in version control (despite my best efforts). So there are still times when the rename-a-copy-as-"New" approach will tempt us. When it does, allow me to suggest a Less Bad Alternative™:

1. Add the suffix "Old" to the original item
2. Make a copy of the item and restore the original name
3. Make the necessary changes to the copied item
4. Come back five years later and see a now-old item named "Old"

Seriously, though, just [use version control](https://nolongerset.com/top-10-reasons-to-use-version-control-with-access/) and you can [avoid this problem altogether](https://nolongerset.com/scraps-of-wood-and-code/).

[Scraps of Wood and CodeResisting the packrat mentality.![](https://nolongerset.com/favicon.png)No Longer SetMike Wolfe![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/eb/d7/ebd732c1-5f03-4f07-b386-5d08557e15c9/content/images/2020/10/brush-wood-4536227_1920.jpg)](https://nolongerset.com/scraps-of-wood-and-code/)