The Code Gardener

Hello! And, welcome to The Code Gardener—an occasional newsletter about writing software well. My name is Alan. My friend, Fito, and I will be your hosts. Between the two of us, we have over 45 years of experience writing software. In that time, we've picked up a thing or two. Now we want to share. Our approach to development is different. We believe that software development is more like tending a garden than building a bridge. To keep the codebase healthy, you need to spend time weeding and feeding it. So, pull on your Wellies, roll up your sleeves, and let's get our keyboards dirty in a big ball of mud!

agility

We Can't See the Trees for the Forest

There's an expression in English that says, "You can't see the forest for the trees." It means you are too focused on the details and not seeing the big picture. In software engineering, my experience tells me that we actually have the opposite problem.

13 Mar

hexagonal-architecture

Hexagonal Architecture + Rails

When learning the Ports & Adapters pattern, I found it confusing. For some reason, it never clicked that the term adapter was a direct reference to the Gang of Four Adapter Pattern. Discovering that was a real face-palm moment for me. And, it was the key to unlocking my understanding of the pattern.

06 Dec

abstraction

Abstract vs. DRY

DRY is the worst programming advice ever. It may seem easy. But, it makes changing or extending software harder. Abstraction, on the other hand, may seem difficult, but makes changing and extending software simpler. Prefer simple over easy.

01 Dec

podcast

The Code Gardener Podcast

We are very excited to announce that we started podcasting this week! For right now, it's just the two of us chatting about writing software well and whatever else strikes our fancy.

30 Nov

imposter-syndrome

The Other Side of Fear

Imposter syndrome is caused by a fear of rejection. That fear is like a virus. It lies dormant in us until we're exposed to a new person or situation, then flares up rapidly. But, there is a vaccine that can inoculate us against fear's worst symptoms.

22 Nov

public-speaking

Speaking Is Hard... Until It's Not

People fear public speaking. I certainly did. The first time I spoke at a conference caused me so much anxiety. But, with time, we all get better at it. And, it doesn't even take that much time!

18 Nov

Is code even relevant anymore?

There is a decades old misconception that says the most valuable thing we programmers can do is type production code into an editor. But, with AI, is code even relevant anymore?

02 Sep