When a software developer is writing code, she/he is often confronted with a problem: How much work should I put into writing “the best” code versus just doing a quick but serviceable job? Kent Beck, pioneer of the influential Extreme Programming: Embrace Change, addresses this question via an in-depth look at the process of “tidying” code. His answer is usually to “tidy first”… but not always. This book seeks to identify exactly when one is in those exceptional situations.
Interestingly, Beck even explores economic reasons in his analysis – a main driver of developer effort that’s not talked about much in development books. These reasons are explored at a theoretical level that incorporates a bit of economic theory.
At times, this book can seem to be overly organizational and thus a bit dreary. That is, it categorizes situations instead of constructing a narrative. This approach became an extremely obvious limitation while I listened on an audiobook format. Perhaps a written text might avoid this pitfall somewhat more, but I suspect that even then, this shortcoming will show up in the reader’s experience.
This book’s audience is limited to those engaged in the art and practice of software design and development. The size of that audience is not huge, but it is growing. Developers can continue to learn from Kent Beck, one of the most observant, self-aware software authors in the industry. Those who desire to better themselves daily will benefit from his passion and attention to detail in this book.
Tidy First? A Personal Exercise in Empirical Software Design
By Kent Beck
Narrated by Stephen R. Thorne
Copyright (c) 2024
Ascent Audio
ASIN B0DJMW5DKX
Length: 2:41
Genre: Software Development
www.amazon.com