Quotes from Andrew Hunt

Computer languages influence how you think about a problem, and how you think about communicating. Every language comes with a list of features: buzzwords such as static versus dynamic typing, early versus late binding, functional versus OO, inheritance models, mixins, macros

Two or more things are orthogonal if changes in one do not affect any of the others. In a well-designed system, the database code will be orthogonal to the user interface: you can change the interface without affecting the database, and swap databases without changing the interface.

When we perform maintenance, we have to find and change the representations of things—those capsules of knowledge embedded in the application. The problem is that it's easy to duplicate knowledge in the specifications, processes, and programs that we develop, and when we do so, we invite a maintenance nightmare—one that starts well before the application ships.

Tracer bullets show what you're hitting. This may not always be the target. You then adjust your aim until they're on target. That's the point. It's the same with tracer code.

The greatest of all weaknesses is the fear of appearing weak. • J. B. Bossuet, Politics from

Learning is a continuous and ongoing process.

The greatest of all weaknesses is the fear of appearing weak. • J. B. Bossuet, Politics from Holy Writ, 1709

Despite thorough testing, good documentation, and solid automation, things go wrong. Deliveries are late. Unforeseen technical problems come up.

Always take small, deliberate steps, checking for feedback and adjusting before proceeding

Distrust environments where requirements are gathered, specifications are written, and then coding starts, all in isolation.

Responsibility is something you actively agree to. You make a commitment to ensure that something is done right, but you don't necessarily have direct control over every aspect of it.

In addition to doing your own personal best, you must analyze the situation for risks that are beyond your control.

Nothing is more dangerous than an idea if it's the only one you have. • Emil-Auguste Chartier, Propos sur la religion, 1938 Engineers

When you do accept the responsibility for an outcome, you should expect to be held accountable for it. When you make a mistake (as we all do) or an error in judgment, admit it honestly and try to offer options.

Don't blame someone or something else, or make up an excuse. Don't blame all the problems on a vendor, a programming language, management, or your coworkers.

If there was a risk that the vendor wouldn't come through for you, then you should have had a contingency plan.

All software becomes legacy as soon as it's written.

While software development is immune from almost all physical laws, entropy hits us hard.

Unfortunately, the laws of thermodynamics guarantee that the entropy in the universe tends toward a maximum.

There are many factors that can contribute to software rot. The most important one seems to be the psychology, or culture, at work on a project.

If it isn't easy, people won't do it.

we just don't have the time to go chasing after bugs that the automated tests could have found for us. We have to spend our time writing new code—and new bugs.

Don't leave broken windows (bad designs, wrong decisions, or poor code) unrepaired.

Grace Hopper: It's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission.