Goal
To understand key software principles that guide the design, development, and maintenance
of high-quality, scalable, and maintainable software systems.
1. Foundational Principles
1.1. KISS – Keep It Simple, Stupid
• Don’t overcomplicate.
• Avoid clever hacks unless absolutely necessary.
• Prioritize readability and clarity.
• Example: Use a simple loop instead of a recursive solution if performance and clarity
both benefit.
1.2. DRY – Don’t Repeat Yourself
• Avoid code duplication.
• Reuse functions, classes, and components.
• Example: If two functions do 90% of the same thing, extract the common part.
1.3. YAGNI – You Ain’t Gonna Need It
• Don’t implement functionality until it’s necessary.
• Prevents over-engineering.
• Example: Avoid building multi-language support in an app that doesn't need it yet.
2. SOLID Principles (Object-Oriented Design)
The SOLID acronym describes five key principles for maintainable software.
S – Single Responsibility Principle
• A class/module should do one thing only, and do it well.
• Helps with easier testing and better cohesion.
O – Open/Closed Principle
• Software entities should be open for extension but closed for modification.
• You should be able to add new functionality without changing existing code (e.g., via
inheritance or interfaces).
L – Liskov Substitution Principle
• Subclasses should be substitutable for their base classes without breaking the
program.
• Example: A Bird class shouldn’t have a fly() method if Penguin extends it.
I – Interface Segregation Principle
• Prefer many small, specific interfaces over a large, general-purpose one.
• Clients shouldn't be forced to depend on methods they don’t use.
D – Dependency Inversion Principle
• Depend on abstractions, not on concrete implementations.
• High-level modules shouldn’t depend on low-level ones.
3. Design Principles
3.1. Separation of Concerns
• Split a program into distinct features that overlap minimally.
• Example: UI code should not handle database queries.
3.2. Modularity
• Write code in self-contained units (functions, classes, modules).
• Encourages reusability, parallel development, and testing.
3.3. Coupling and Cohesion
• Cohesion: How strongly-related the responsibilities of a module are (you want high
cohesion).
• Coupling: How dependent modules are on each other (you want low coupling).
4. Testing & Maintenance Principles
4.1. Testability
• Code should be written to support unit and integration testing.
• E.g., avoid static state, allow dependency injection.
4.2. Maintainability
• Code should be easy to modify, extend, or refactor.
• Use meaningful naming, clear logic, and proper documentation.
4.3. Documentation and Comments
• Document why something is done, not just what.
• Avoid redundant comments like i++; // increment i.
5. Development Practices
5.1. Continuous Integration / Continuous Delivery (CI/CD)
• Automate testing, building, and deployment.
• Makes shipping software faster and safer.
5.2. TDD – Test-Driven Development
• Write tests before implementing functionality.
• Helps clarify design and ensures test coverage.
5.3. Code Reviews & Pair Programming
• Review code for bugs, design flaws, and clarity.
• Encourages team learning and catches issues early.
6. Modern Software Considerations
6.1. Scalability
• Can your system handle growth?
• Horizontal scaling (more servers) vs. vertical (bigger servers).
6.2. Security by Design
• Build with security in mind: validate inputs, encrypt data, authenticate users properly.
6.3. Observability
• Logging, metrics, and tracing help you debug and monitor live systems.
7. Real-World Advice
• Write code for humans, not machines.
• Refactor often — if something feels wrong, it probably is.
• Use version control (e.g., Git) religiously.
• Automate boring stuff (e.g., builds, tests, deployments).
• Be aware of tech debt — and pay it off intentionally.
