Bits and Pieces

Object Thinking

We refer to object-oriented programming as a paradigm or way of thinking because it’s more than just a set of techniques and practices. It’s a different way of modeling behaviors. It’s not necessarily as easy to learn as the syntax of a programming language. Object-oriented programming is subtly different than procedural programming and it’s easy …

Read More
Rants

The Virtues of Laziness

Ok, I admit it. I am lazy. But laziness can be a virtue. I think it is humanity’s basic laziness that let us create computers in the first place. Computers take the drudge-work out of many tasks. My basic laziness has motivated me to find better ways to build software because I simply got tired …

Read More
Refactor Legacy Code

Rebuild or Refactor

Sometimes, when an important project is going poorly there’s a desire to start over. Sometimes this comes from management but often this comes from the developers themselves. They say if they only had a second chance and could start over then they can build the right system. But that almost never happens. Take it from …

Read More
Rants

Buy or Build

One question that I hear a lot of people asking is whether they should buy or build the software that they need to run their enterprise. This is often a difficult question to answer. One thing I can say having lived through many major software purchases is that the main cost was understanding a system …

Read More