Kevlin Henney's Blog

Use Uncertainty As a Driver

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 15:33:00 GMT

Not sure about something? And that something affects the detailed design, an architectural decision or choice of functionality? Does that feel like a problem or a part of the solution? Whether it's technology choice, implementation options, requirements, or schedule, uncertainty is normally seen as something you must either suppress or avoid. Of this many people appear, well, certain. That you should embrace it and use it to influence schedule, identify risk, and inform design is not immediately obvious. A lack of certainty offers the opportunity to highlight risk and reframe questions, making uncertainty part of the solution rather than necessarily a problem.More...

Simplicity Before Generality, Use Before Reuse

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 21:43:00 GMT

When given on its own, the advice to keep things simple and usable seems almost too obvious to mention. The problem arises when such advice comes up against the advice to make things general, reusable, flexible, etc. At this point, simplicity, usability, and other tangible qualities often fall by the wayside in favor of more abstract goals. It is important to place the advice in context: when presented with an option that is clearly simple versus an option that is not as simple but may (or may not) be more general, or when weighing between a demonstrably usable design versus one that is not as usable but has the promise (or aspiration) to be reusable, favor the former over the latter.More...

Resistentialism

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 08:42:00 GMT

Is your code out to get you? Do your objects display hostility or meet your intentions with indifference? Perhaps the explanation can be found in resistentialism.

More...