I know your class is over, but in professional coding, let this be a lesson:
- “Deprecated” means “avoid use; it’s going to be removed in the future”
- Deprecated things still work – just don’t expect support or future-proofing
- If the requirement requires it, and you can’t negotiate it away, just use the deprecated construct.
- If you’re really concerned, develop the alternative implementation on the side and keep it ready for the inevitable failure
- Charge for the extra work now. By requesting a deprecated feature, they are asking you to double the work. You’re going to see it again anyway, so might as well front-load it.
- When the failure happens, let the interested party know that this was what you feared; that you prepared for it, but it’ll take some time
- Deploy your solution as quickly as you can (there will be bugs)
- Gain rep for preventing excessive downtime.