hultberg.org: LinkLog

Software code should be habitable

A very interesting view on code and the aspect of further developmnt and maintenance. Code should be habitable. And hospitable.

Making sure the code you or your team produces is "habitable"; meaning among other things easy to understand, extend, correct and replace; increases the lifespan of the code and also enhances the feeling of responsibility for the code among the team members.

The author, Richard Gabriel, paints pictures and makes examples using architecture and buildings as a metaphor.

I’ve heard Gregor Kiczales—one of the CLOS designers—say that he wishes that computer science practice could reach the level of engineering excellence that creates buildings like the Superdome in New Orleans. He points out that the design of the Superdome puts toghether pieces made from a variety of materials and from a range of engineering and building disciplines. The result is a monument to that engineering skill. This is a tempting picture, but I think it’s off base. Buildings like the Superdome lack habitability. In this instance people inhabit the building, but only for very short periods of time, and for very special occasions—and such buildings are not easily grown or altered. The Superdome is a static building, and therefore it can stand as a monument, being little else.

Very interesting, and to me a view on coding adapted to reality at least when it comes to smalland medium sized projects.

Patterns of Software: Habitability and Piecemeal Growth

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