Beyond 'Code is Read More Than Written': Considering Runtime Performance in Software Development
By
facundo_olano
Front-window bakery material. Catches the eye, delivers the goods.
Summary
The article challenges the common programming wisdom that 'code is read more than written' by proposing an extension: 'code is run more than read.' It argues that while readability and maintainability are important, the ultimate purpose of code is execution, and developers should consider runtime performance and efficiency alongside readability. The piece suggests this perspective can be applied beyond programming as a decision-making framework for identifying problems and making trade-offs between different priorities.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledCode is read more than written conveys that it's usually a good investment to make the code maintainable by keeping it simple, writing tests and documentation, etc.
Code is read more than written, code is run more than read.
I think this line of thought can be extended beyond code-writing, and used as a rule of thumb to identify problems and make decisions.
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