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Simplicity Isn’t Simple
Software Engineering Issues
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” is a quote from Leonardo da Vinci, and while it’s lovely in principle he didn’t have to deal with code reviews or delivering functionality to a strict deadline.
You see simplicity is a lofty goal, and one all software engineers should aim for. Yet that same goal often turns into a blunt instrument used by senior developers to assert dominance over juniors — leaving them buried under a pile of difficult to answer questions and tricky choices.
The KISS Ideal
The KISS principle is a software design principle that suggests that systems function best when they are kept simple and straightforward. It stands for “Keep It Simple, Stupid” implying that the complexity comes not just from the inherent complexities in the system but from some innate trait when people work on a system.
Ideally, software developers embrace the principle, of producing small simple functions that have one single responsibility.
Here’s a simple example:
public int divide(int a, int b) throws ArithmeticException {…
