Design Principles for Adaptable Code
Good design is not solely about appearance but also about being adaptable. It’s essential to resist the urge to make premature decisions regarding application configuration and instead base decisions on business relevance rather than personal preferences. Delaying decisions until the last moment can help write adaptable code informed by a complete understanding of the problem. Any decision made without precise requirements is simply a guess. The essence of Object-Oriented Design is to preserve the option to make crucial decisions later on.
According to Kent Beck, a design is “simple” if it passes all tests, reflects the programmer’s intent, avoids duplication, and minimizes the number of classes and methods. Ensuring the code is functional and passes all tests is essential. Once it works, make it expressive to reflect the programmer’s intentions. Duplication can be a significant obstacle to a well-designed system. After optimizing the code for clarity and expressiveness, it’s crucial to eliminate redundancy diligently.
Refactoring can be a valuable tool for identifying problems. Extracting methods and moving them to separate classes can increase visibility. Good design is not limited to architects and artists; it is also vital for programmers. We can achieve an elegant and functional design by following the principles of simplicity and separation of concerns.
