[development] Proposed Apocrypha

[Ivan Sergio Borgonovo]

On Thu, 7 May 2009 09:25:53 -0600
Greg Knaddison <greg.knaddison at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Thu, May 7, 2009 at 9:12 AM, Ivan Sergio Borgonovo
> <mail at webthatworks.it> wrote:
> > On Thu, 7 May 2009 09:23:48 -0500
> > Jeff Eaton <jeff at viapositiva.net> wrote:
> >
> >> Crell's Law: If an API must be use-case-optimized, make it
> >> swappable & tailor the default for cheap shared hosting.
> >> High-end sites can swap.
> >
> >> Eaton's Corollary: If an API is swappable, write two
> >> implementations. APIs with one test case are rarely flexible
> >> enough for the second.
> >
> > If you want to make stuff swappable start at least with 3
> > implementations otherwise 2 will just be a special case of 1.
> 
> We have to temper the ideal with reality.  We have several

That`s why I didn`t write "working implementations" ;)

At least in my experience a "what if they were 3" makes a huge
difference to avoid 2 just a special case of 1.
But anyway how could you plan or even think an API could be
useful knowing just 2 use-case?
But then... when you cut and paste more than once... you need an
API ;)
3 is the magic number!

> And three cheers for Crell's Law and Eaton's Corollary.

I would extend that cheers further than just for the Law
and the Corollary.

BTW Ernie that`s called delegation and everybody know that
delegation is the solution to all CS problems.

-- 
Ivan Sergio Borgonovo
http://www.webthatworks.it