+++
transparent = true
title = "Things I Learnt The Hard Way (In 30 Years of Software Development)"
+++

* [Intro](intro)
* [Disclaimer](disclaimer)

* Programming
	* Before you start writing code...
		* [Spec First, Then Code](spec-first)
		* [Write Steps as Comments](steps-as-comments)
		* [Gherkin Is Your Friend to Understand Expectations](gherkin)
		* [Design Patters Are Used to Name Solution, Not Find Them](patterns-not-solutions)
		* [Thinking Data Flow Beats Patterns](data-flow)
		* [The Magic Number Seven, Plus Or Minus Two](magical-number-seven)
		* [Cognitive Cost Is The Readability Killer](cognitive-cost)
		* [Learn The Basics of Functional Programming](functional-programming)
		* [Shortcuts Are Nice, But Only In The Short Run](understand-shortcuts)
		* [Debuggers Are Overrated](debuggers)
		* [Think About The Users](users)
	* Testing Software
		* [Unit Tests Are Good, Integration Tests Are Gooder](integration-tests)
		* [Testing Every Function Creates Dead Code](tests-dead-code)
		* [Tests Make Better APIs](tests-apis)
		* [Make Tests That You Know How To Run On The Command Line](tests-in-the-command-line)
		* [Good Languages Come With Tests](languages-tests)
	* Documenting your code
		* [Documentation Is A Love Letter To Your Future Self](document-it)
		* [The Function Documentation Is Its Contract](document-is-contract)
		* [If A Function Description Includes An "And", It's Wrong](document-and)
		* [Good Languages Come With Integrated Documentation](languages-docs)
	* Source Control
		* [Always Use A Version Control System](always-vcs)
		* [One Commit Per Change](one-change-commit)
		* [Gerrit Is A Mistake](gerrit)
		* [Git-Flow Is The Way To Go](git-flow)
	* Project Organization
		* [Organize Your Code by Data/Type, Not Functionality](project-organization)
		* [Create Libraries](libraries)
		* [Paper Notes Are Actually Helpful](paper-notes)
	* Writing code
		* [Be Ready To Throw Your Code Away](throw-away)
		* [Future Thinking Is Future Trashing](future-trashing)
		* [Don't Use Booleans As Parameters](boolean-parameters)
		* [Beware of Interface Changes](interface-changes)
		* [It's Better To Let The Application Crash Than Do Nothing](crash-it)
		* [If You Know How To Handle It, Handle It](handle-it)
		* [Types Say What Your Data Is](data-types)
		* [If Your Data Has a Schema, Use a Structure](use-structures)
		* [Don't Mess With Things Outside Your Project](outside-project)
		* [Resist The Temptation Of Easy](resist-easy)
		* [Start Stupid](start-stupid)
		* [Always Use Timezones With Your Dates](use-timezones)
		* [Always Use UTF-8 For Your Strings](use-utf8)
		* [Optimization Is For Compilers](optimization)
		* [Units Makes Things Clear](units)
		* [If It Doesn't Run On Your Computer, You Have A Problem](run-locally)
		* [Nothing More Permanent Than A Temporary Solution](permanent-solution)
	* Making Things Go
		* [The Config File Is Friend](config-file)
		* [Command Line Options Are Weird, But Helpful](command-line-options)
		* [Not Just Function Composition, But Application Composition](application-composition)
		* [Even for Application Composition, Start Stupid](app-composition-stupid)
		* [Logs Are For Events, Not User Interface](log-events)
		* [Be Transparent With The User](transparent)
		* [One Version To Add, One Version To Remove](add-then-remove)
		* [Learn To Monitor](monitoring)
* Community/Teams
	* [A Language Is Much More Than A Language](languages-are-more)
	* [Understand And Stay Away From Cargo Cult](cargo-cult)
	* ["Right Tool For The Job" Is Just To Push An Agenda](right-tool-agenda)
	* [The Right Tool Is More Obvious Than You Think](right-tool-obvious)
	* [Code Reviews Are Not For Style](code-reviews-style)
	* [Code Formatting Tools Are Ok, But No Silver Bullet](code-formatters)
	* [Code Style: Follow It](code-style)
	* [... Unless That Code Style Is The Google Code Style](google-code-style)
	* [Hero Projects: You'll Have To Do It Yourself](hero-projects)
	* [Global Changes Must Be Discussed With The Whole Team First](team-discussion)
* Personal
	* [Companies Look For Specialists But Keep Generalists Longer](specialists)
	* [Keep A List of Stupid Bugs That Took More Than 1 Hour To Solve](stupid-bugs-list)
	* [When It's Time to Stop, It's Time To Stop](time-to-stop)
	* [Code of Conduct Protect YOU, Not THEM](coc)
	* [Learn To Say No](say-no)
	* [Take Responsibility For The Use Of Your Code](responsible-code)
	* [Don't Tell It's Done When It's Not](not-done)
	* [People Get Upset About Code And Architecture Quality 'Cause They Care](people-care)
	* [You'll Learn About Yourself The Hard Way](learn-about-yourself)
	* [Pay Attention On How People React To You](watch-reactions)
	* [Don't Confuse Hero Project With Hero Syndrome](hero-syndrome)
	* [Beware of Toxic People](toxic-people)
	* [Beware of Microaggressions](microaggressions)
	* [Toxic/Aggressive People Are Not Fixable -- Unless It's You](fixable)
	* [Realize When It's Time To Quit](quit)
	* [I.T. World Is Really Small](small-world)
	* [Blogging About Your Stupid Solution Is Still Better Than Being Quiet](blogging)
	* [Don't Hide Your Stupid Solution](post-solution)
	* [Keep A List of Things I Don't Know](things-i-dont-know)
	* [You Always Have The Time](time)
	* [Own Your Shit](own-your-shit)
	* [Don't Defend Bad Code](bad-code-defense)