Lars Wirzenius

What does it mean for software to be good? I have a note in my GTD system to write an essay about this, but I don't think I'll have the time. Instead, a few random thoughts, from my software developer point of view:

* easy to make change3s: bug fixes, new features, etc
* works well enough, and easy enough to use for its purpose
* has a test suite that developers can trust
* open source
* sufficient developers/maintainers to keep it working

What's on your list?

Jun 8 at 5:29amWeb
Show threadMarc Haber4d ago
@liw docs!
Show threadrag. Gustavino Bevilacqua4d ago

@liw

In the interface of the nuts&bolts database I made for my workshop I can use plus and minus in the quantity fields, so I don't have to rely on external calculations, but I don't know how to synthesize this feature in a single line.

Show threadweasel4d ago
@liw Has a clear purpose. And that purpose is documented.
Show threadRichard Levitte4d ago
@liw
I would add that if the software touches files or networks, it should strive for collaboration / interoperability when at all possible. That can be achieved by using existing open formats and standards, or lacking that, publish your own.
Show threadbrennen4d ago

@liw hmm - some others:

- stable/predictable/boring: once it is reasonably mature, does not tend to make large breaking changes at interface boundaries

- welcomes newcomers & rewards long-term familiarity, balances the tension between these things well

- documented in a way sufficient to its use

- a fluid, pleasant interface. care in design.

- the little niceties: man pages, attention to CLI conventions, good scrollbars

- doesn't try to lock the user in (to format, vendor, etc.)

Show threadZack Weinberg4d ago
@brennen @liw In my experience the dividing line between the first 90% and the second 90% of the work required for a program that I wouldn't be ashamed to show to other people tends to lie between "this works on my computers for me" and "I'm confident this will work for anyone in the program's target audience"
Show threadFlorenz3d ago
@liw sensible default settings that enable it to run for a long time without operators attention - for log files, that could mean "errors only" by default, not "verbose". For databases or "stuff" that is written/stored, that could mean defaults that clean up no longer used "stuff" such as cache or intermediate files so that space used does not just grow until the alarm goes off
Show threadLars Marowsky-Brée 😷3d ago

@liw Updates don't break existing workflows.

I can adapt to many quirks. It's when they change that annoyance happens.

For anything that's supposed to be used in scripts, that includes log messages.

A dry-run mode to check that it still all works as a consumer.