STICK TO IT

There are many approaches to designing and developing software. There are even fancy names to each. Structured or Procedural, Data Centric, Domain Driven, Event Driven, Object and Aspect Oriented ... and more. Add any implentation language of choice to the mix and stir well. People may tell you that some are better than other, some are practical, and others are just playgrounds for theory obsessed folks wearing funny hats. Some are old school and others are the new kids on the block. There are as many opinions on what it all means as many people get involved in discussions revolving around these topics. Books have been written, countless presentation were sat through.

We still keep discussing which the best way to build software is. The answer is simple: It doesn't quite matter. Potato, Potatoe. Different hats for different heads. Different tools for ... different folks. I may have mixed up my analogies a bit. Ultimately it is the type of job that has to determine the correct approach (insert another toolbox analogy).

The point is once you've chosen one approach, methodology or philosophy - for a particular task - STICK TO IT. It is the "dog pretending to be a cat" solution that brings out the worst in any given approach, combined. It is because each paradigm can be very different in nature, have different value system, different focus. And these do not mix well, especially if we try to make one look like the other.

The final product may look OK - on the first take, but sure won't taste great (insert the Cat and Dog making a cake tale details). It will have the worst traits from each approach involved, under such circumstances. Our OO code will be overun with inheritance, our Procedures interrupted without any apparent reason, our Domain Objects will not represent any business reality, our Pointcuts will attempt to crosscut accros dimensions.

So show your colors. Wear a 'God thought in Erlang' T-shirt. Spray paint 'Shuttles run on Procedural' all over you cubicle. Be critical but also proud of your decision despite what is the soup du jour. Beautiful code can happen using any approach. Choose what is the best for your team and project and STICK TO IT. Once you are done, re-evaluate your decisions, explore new teritories and get closer to the cutting edge. Then STICK TO THAT until you are done again.