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Devoted to complexity? Why?
written by Peter William Lount Version 1, 20040604 James Robertson has a post, "In the Church of Complexity" regarding how in "typed" systems complexity creeps. It sends shivers down my spine just looking at that code! Would someone please send in Buffy to slay the complexity beasts. I just don't get why they are so devoted to the need for complexity? Programs, especially ones that do serious amounts of real work (like JPMorgan's Das Kapital or Condor's Rebar Detailing System), are difficult to create at the best of times, so why go and make it harder? Could it be a form of self-flagulation? I just wish I was being sarcastic! Creating simplicity isn't always easy, it takes commitment and focus. It takes balance to avoid reducing too far towards simplistic solutions. It takes breaking old habbits if you formed them. It takes knowing when something is too complex (or too simplistic) and needs to be re-thought from scratch. It gets even worse when the people on the project team actually fight for complex solutions. It seems to me that a sad devotion to the complex misses the mark. Being caught up in keeping legacy anchored language concepts that demonstratably increase complexity isn't the way to go. It's hard enough keeping large systems managable. I suppose that Microsoft C# team has a real tiger to tame. They will, however, never remove the beast from that language. The same goes for the current crop of Java. I can only imagine what would have happened if they had devoted their billions into systems that aim to reduce complexity as much as possble, such as Smalltalk. Be that as it may, we can still urge people to refactor their complex applications into simplier and managable pieces if at all possible. In many cases they will be glad that they did, and it might save them a ton of money in the process too. Oh and there is that other benefit awaiting, a faster time to market! Heck, even getting to projects done on time and in budget would be a huge win! Yes, that's the long sought after holy grail and silver bullet, but do you really think that systems whos design inherently increases complexity will take you there faster than systems whos design demonstratabily decreases complexity? The Cult of the Cryptic seem to worship in the Church of Complexity. What does it cost you and your company to be a member of that congregation? Copyright 1 9 9 9 - 2 0 1 0 b y S m a l l t a l k . o r g "! , A l l R i g h t s R e s e r v e d . |
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