Programming Principles
Empathy Box has an excellent article titled, “5 Principles For Programming“:http://empathybox.com/archives/8. It lays out the following principles that programmers should following when working on applications:
* Fail Fast
* Write Less Code (and Don’t Repeat Yourself)
* Computer Programs Are For People
* Do The Right Thing
* Reduce State
* Know Your Stuff
This is an excellent article and should be read by anyone involved in the art of programming.
The point that I personally like best is the third one: Computer Programs are for People. I have seen this pop up in another post recently (I just can’t remember where). Although the following quote is only cited in the article, I still really like it and it will definitely shape the way that I program from now on.
bq. We want to establish the idea that a computer language is not just a way of getting a computer to perform operations but rather that it is a novel formal medium for expressing ideas about methodology. Thus, programs must be written for people to read, and only incidentally for machines to execute.
The quote is attributed to the book “The Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs.”:http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0262011530/ref=pd_rvi_gw_1/701-2518291-1669962?ie=UTF8 This is one of the books suggested on “Kathy Sierra’s blog”:http://headrush.typepad.com/creating_passionate_users/2006/10/the_book_i_wish.html and one that I have added to my reading list.
