Why is this hard?
4 days ago
- #developer productivity
- #code maintenance
- #software development
- Developers must balance adding new code, processes, and infrastructure with the need to maintain and manage existing systems.
- Tradeoffs are inherent in development decisions, as new additions bring both benefits and maintenance liabilities.
- Growing knowledge and insights can help reduce costs and improve existing systems over time.
- Listening for 'cries for help' like difficulty in describing or documenting code can signal underlying design issues.
- Boilerplate code may indicate opportunities for abstraction or simplification.
- Tools like tests and type systems can help catch issues early, but sometimes need refinement to be more effective.
- Fighting tools can be mitigated by making them work for you, such as writing tests to check for future fixes.
- Redesigns are common as knowledge evolves, and patterns like the strangler fig can help manage transitions.
- Estimates are challenging but essential; practicing and refining estimation skills can improve accuracy.
- Asking 'Why is this hard?' and exploring multiple solutions can lead to better insights and outcomes.