What unconventional software design lessons did I pick up through trial and error?

Hey everyone,

I’ve been coding for a while now, and I’ve realized that some of the common software design principles we’re taught don’t always work out in real-world situations. For example, I’ve found that sometimes repeating code can actually be beneficial, contrary to the popular DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself) principle.

What are some other unconventional software design lessons you’ve learned through experience? Have you ever had to go against traditional wisdom to solve a problem more effectively? I’m really curious to hear about your experiences and what you’ve discovered works best in practice.

Share your stories and let’s discuss how we can improve our coding practices based on real-world scenarios!

yo, i totally get that! sometimes i break the ‘loose coupling’ rule and make components more tightly integrated. it can make things easier to debug and change quickly. have u ever found urself doing something similar? like sacrificing flexibility for simplicity?

oh, that’s a cool point. i’ve noticed that over-engineering, while aiming for perfection, can actually hinder development. sometimes letting go of a few abstractions makes things more workable. dunno, have you experienced a time when scaling back led to clearer, simpler code?

One unconventional lesson I’ve learned is that sometimes it’s better to optimize for developer productivity rather than code efficiency. In large-scale projects, I’ve found that using higher-level abstractions or even slightly less efficient libraries can significantly speed up development and reduce bugs. This approach, while seemingly counterintuitive, often results in more maintainable and reliable software in the long run. It’s about striking a balance between performance and development speed. Have you ever faced situations where you chose a less ‘optimal’ solution for the sake of faster development or easier maintenance? It’s interesting how these trade-offs play out in different project contexts.