Re: The impact of data format selection on application development

Hi Roger!

On Tue, 12 Jul 2022 12:56:22 +0000
Roger L Costello <[email protected]> wrote:

> Hello Norman, Michael, and Mukul,
> 
> Excellent comments! You have given me a lot to chew on. Thank you.
> 
> As I understand it, in the Unix philosophy if a simple data format needs to
> be modified, just create a new simple data format. Since it's a simple data
> format, it's easy to quickly create new tools and/or adapt existing tools. If
> the old data format is no longer needed, discard it.
> 
> My colleague pointed me to the Unix philosophy, which I really like:
> 
>         - Make each program do one thing well. To do a new job, build afresh
> rather than complicate old programs by adding new "features".
> 
>         - Expect the output of every program to become the input to another,
> as yet unknown, program. Don't clutter output with extraneous information.
> Avoid stringently columnar or binary input formats. Don't insist on
> interactive input.
> 
>         - Design and build software, even operating systems, to be tried
> early, ideally within weeks. Don't hesitate to throw away the clumsy parts
> and rebuild them.
> 
>         - Use tools in preference to unskilled help to lighten a programming
> task, even if you have to detour to build the tools and expect to throw some
> of them out after you've finished using them.
> 
>         https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unix_philosophy
> 

For the flip side, see:
http://shlomifishswiki.branchable.com/Unix_Philosophy_of_One_Tool_for_One_Job/

"one tool for one job" and avoiding https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feature_creep
are guidelines rather than gospel/dogma.

> Comments?
> 
> /Roger
> 
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