Tech Lead Journal
[Best of 2023] #122 - Essential Things Every Software Engineer Should Know - Kevlin Henney
Jan 1, 2024
Kevlin Henney, a consultant, writer, and speaker on software development, discusses timeless concepts like cohesion, coupling, and code quality. He explains how he became associated with public software failures known as KevlinHenney screens. The importance of learning from the past and the responsibility of developers to create reliable software are also highlighted.
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Quick takeaways
- Learning from the past, specifically understanding concepts of cohesion and coupling, is crucial for better code maintenance and development.
- Addressing code quality issues and minimizing failures in public systems like public transport is vital for software engineers to uphold their responsibilities and prioritize user impact.
Deep dives
The Timeless Lessons from the Past
The podcast episode emphasizes the importance of learning from the past and highlights the timeless qualities of certain programming concepts. The speaker shares their experience of reading books from the 1980s and 1970s and discovering that ideas about cohesion and coupling are still relevant. They express confusion over why some programmers have fixated on certain types of cohesion to the exclusion of others and the lack of attention to coupling. The speaker emphasizes the importance of teaching and understanding these fundamental concepts for better code maintenance and development. They also discuss the value of focusing on code quality and highlighting the importance of staying up to date with modern software engineering practices.
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