The harsh reality of good software
ThePrimeTime・26 minutes read
Speaker emphasizes importance of enjoying software development process, advocates for clean, well-written code despite challenges and stresses collaboration with domain experts. Building atomic pieces first and using Uncle Bob's "Clean Code" principles essential for good software development.
Insights
- Balancing new challenges with familiarity is crucial in maintaining enjoyment and skill progression in software development, emphasizing the need for a variety of coding languages for efficient software creation.
- Prioritizing well-written, secure, and efficient code over immediate gains is essential for long-term success in software development, highlighting the importance of collaboration with domain experts and learning from past mistakes for continuous improvement.
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Recent questions
How does the speaker rate their coding skills?
Average on a good day
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Summary
00:00
"Balancing Enjoyment and Quality in Software"
- After 15 years of software development, the speaker rates their coding skills as average on a good day, acknowledging the common feeling of being an imposter in the software world.
- The speaker emphasizes the importance of enjoying the software development process and suggests having two or three go-to languages to efficiently build software in different ways.
- They discuss the progression of enjoyment in software development, from initial slow learning to eventual decline in enjoyment, advocating for a balance between new challenges and familiarity.
- The speaker highlights the distinction between working software and good software, noting that bad software that works will eventually fail, emphasizing the importance of well-written software for long-term success.
- They criticize the "good enough" approach in software development, pointing out the negative consequences of prioritizing immediate gains over long-term quality.
- The speaker stresses the responsibility of writing good software despite others' lack of concern, mentioning the necessity of clean, concise, and properly tested code for seamless evolution and meeting organizational needs.
- They challenge the notion of "clean code" and readability, arguing that readability is subjective and that all code is inherently flawed over time.
- The speaker underscores the importance of secure and efficient code for product performance, cautioning against overly complex and abstract code that may hinder adaptability to unexpected changes.
- They caution against excessive planning for future optimizations, quoting David Wheeler that all problems in computer science can be solved by another level of indirection, except for one.
14:37
Effective Software Development Principles and Practices
- David Wheeler's quote suggests that many computer science problems can be solved by adding another layer of indirection, except for the issue of over-abstraction.
- Software development should involve collaboration with domain experts to grasp business logic thoroughly before making design decisions.
- Building atomic pieces first and then creating larger components from them is a recommended approach in software development.
- Uncle Bob's "Clean Code" offers valuable advice on enhancing code readability and maintainability.
- Comments in code should be used cautiously as they can become outdated and confusing over time.
- Consistency in coding styles and using meaningful names are essential for code clarity.
- Optimize code for readability, avoiding excessive refactoring solely for the sake of it.
- Experience developers excel in jumping into existing codebases, making necessary updates without rewriting everything.
- Good software results from learning from past mistakes, technical debt, and previous projects, rather than aiming for perfection in new projects.
