I recently interrupted a big project. It was a medical software project. While working on it, I realized some patterns about solo programming. I want to share my experiences here:
- Your software's working logic must always reflect the real world. You catch fish with fishing rod, not baseball bat; so forget it.
- Always start building from the project element to which all other elements refer. That makes sense if you think that like the function in a software project which is called at most. That might be database modeling. It would be useless if you model data access layer first, before modeling database.
- Never mind changing variable names. That's the most written entry in a programmer's diary; so no need to be ashamed.
- Methodology changes the world. Make worth of it. Make every single logical process with a function or procedure. When project gets huge you will understand thats the best way.
- If you're not designing a language compiler in assembly do not hesitate using huge procedure call chains in which one calls another and that calls another and so on. Use methods everywhere, nearly resemble every single entity with classes and be modular.
- Modularity is everything. Set modularity your primary goal. Have i said it is everything meanwhile?
- Last word for beginning the project. If you're building an apartment you install main entrance at last. But when using, you enter the building from entrance. Be aware.
These are some of my design principles I learned and learning day by day. I hope having been useful. Do your best.
