I've come to the belief that the only definition of quality in code that makes any sense is our ability to change the code. If it's easy to ch

Quality Means The Flexibility to Change

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2024-10-30 17:00:16

I've come to the belief that the only definition of quality in code that makes any sense is our ability to change the code. If it's easy to change, it's high quality; if it's hard to change, it's not.

I'm sure that some people will have the reaction that such an outlook is nothing more than an excuse for not doing things the "right way". But, I think that's exactly what I love about this insight—that it separates out the academia of software development from the pragmatic realities of the world. Sometimes, the sub-optimal way is actually the way that makes the code easiest to work with.

The thing about software — and life really — is that whatever you’re doing, you’re undoubtedly doing it wrong. You’re human. You make mistakes. You’re not perfect.

If you’ve been practicing whatever you’re doing for a long time, you’re probably making fewer mistakes. But you’re still making ’em.