Sometimes, you need to make coding changes to a system while that system is running. This is especially true in dynamic programming environments like Smalltalk. When you do this, you run the risk of breaking the system in a way that even your tools don't work anymore or the development environment crashes. These changes need to be made carefully. Take small steps. Get helper methods ready before you change key methods. Save frequently. Publish your changes frequently and make sure you can load the changes without crashing. Finally, you should make notes about what you did because the next time you upgrade to a new version of the base, you'll have to worry about it again. In this case, the best advice is to try to find a way to avoid making the change in the first place, but if you must then just do it carefully.
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