Comments on: Premature Cleverization http://stuartsierra.com/2006/10/05/premature-cleverization From programming to everything else Tue, 07 Oct 2008 04:56:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: rtfa.net | read the fucking article » Blog Archive » Regarding “premature cleverization” http://stuartsierra.com/2006/10/05/premature-cleverization#comment-16746 rtfa.net | read the fucking article » Blog Archive » Regarding “premature cleverization” Thu, 30 Aug 2007 19:20:49 +0000 http://stuartsierra.com/2006/10/05/premature-cleverization#comment-16746 [...] descended into that series of tubes known as the Internet(s) and came up with this obscure post about premature cleverization. The essence is that it’s a waste of time to over-design a solution without completely [...] [...] descended into that series of tubes known as the Internet(s) and came up with this obscure post about premature cleverization. The essence is that it’s a waste of time to over-design a solution without completely [...]

]]> By: idm from rtfa http://stuartsierra.com/2006/10/05/premature-cleverization#comment-977 idm from rtfa Tue, 10 Oct 2006 02:57:58 +0000 http://stuartsierra.com/2006/10/05/premature-cleverization#comment-977 While I can't claim to have excelled at (or even acclimated to) the idea, I picked up a great-sounding mantra from a recent software engineering class: make the simplest thing that could possibly work. Yes, yes... but what about the library that could generalize this solution to all sorts of other tasks? Wouldn't that be simpler in the long run? No, no. It just won't be, and exactly for the reason you described. The only way to responsibly leverage your code-hours across many different projects is to map ALL projects out to ensure that no fatal flaws exist. So what's easier? If you can't make it simple enough, then use someone else's library. Also from that class: one sure-fire way to become a super-programmer is to reuse code. Reusing code isn't trivial - you may still spend 3 days - but it reduces the complexity of the problem. Coding a library AND software to use it is attacking one problem from two sides. "Shoe-horning" an existing library into your software produces a better-defined problem, so hopefully a proper solution is forthcoming. While I can’t claim to have excelled at (or even acclimated to) the idea, I picked up a great-sounding mantra from a recent software engineering class: make the simplest thing that could possibly work.

Yes, yes… but what about the library that could generalize this solution to all sorts of other tasks? Wouldn’t that be simpler in the long run?

No, no. It just won’t be, and exactly for the reason you described. The only way to responsibly leverage your code-hours across many different projects is to map ALL projects out to ensure that no fatal flaws exist.

So what’s easier? If you can’t make it simple enough, then use someone else’s library. Also from that class: one sure-fire way to become a super-programmer is to reuse code. Reusing code isn’t trivial - you may still spend 3 days - but it reduces the complexity of the problem.

Coding a library AND software to use it is attacking one problem from two sides. “Shoe-horning” an existing library into your software produces a better-defined problem, so hopefully a proper solution is forthcoming.

]]> By: Savadeep Speaks! » Premature Cleverization: a most interesting computer programming malady! http://stuartsierra.com/2006/10/05/premature-cleverization#comment-921 Savadeep Speaks! » Premature Cleverization: a most interesting computer programming malady! Sun, 08 Oct 2006 23:45:31 +0000 http://stuartsierra.com/2006/10/05/premature-cleverization#comment-921 [...] My word! It was of today that I was a reader of this written piece by Stuart Sierra about a most interesting programming malady: premature cleverization. It is but a condition where one does so many efforts to be of a nature most clever when thinking about softwares. But so much cleverity means one pays but little attention to real world details and so difficulties soon arise. [...] [...] My word! It was of today that I was a reader of this written piece by Stuart Sierra about a most interesting programming malady: premature cleverization. It is but a condition where one does so many efforts to be of a nature most clever when thinking about softwares. But so much cleverity means one pays but little attention to real world details and so difficulties soon arise. [...]

]]> By: Stuart http://stuartsierra.com/2006/10/05/premature-cleverization#comment-892 Stuart Fri, 06 Oct 2006 13:57:30 +0000 http://stuartsierra.com/2006/10/05/premature-cleverization#comment-892 Stephen De Gabrielle Says: <i>Oh so familiar. What is your solution?</i> Haven't found one yet. Possibly beating myself with a stick. Or maybe just throwing away my entire supply of scrap paper. Stephen De Gabrielle Says: Oh so familiar. What is your solution?

Haven’t found one yet. Possibly beating myself with a stick. Or maybe just throwing away my entire supply of scrap paper.

]]> By: Stephen De Gabrielle http://stuartsierra.com/2006/10/05/premature-cleverization#comment-891 Stephen De Gabrielle Fri, 06 Oct 2006 13:53:39 +0000 http://stuartsierra.com/2006/10/05/premature-cleverization#comment-891 Oh so familiar. What is your solution? Oh so familiar. What is your solution?

]]>