|
1 | | -# Principles |
| 1 | +# 🎯 Core Principles |
2 | 2 |
|
3 | | -1. Identify and empathise with all audience perspectives on the codebase - contributors, users, operators, AI agents, Build agents. |
4 | | -2. Provide specific interfaces for each audience perspective. |
5 | | -3. Ensure each audience interface is clean and remains maintainable. |
6 | | -4. Provide a consistent abstraction over languages and frameworks. |
7 | | -5. Provide a codebase experience that can be replicated by any audience, anywhere and on any platform. |
8 | | -6. Do not be constrained by current technology and tools - provoke change to how we would like to interact with codebases over current constraints. |
9 | | -7. Utilise cross platform and cross IDE tools and technologies to provide the interfaces. |
10 | | -8. Empathise with your own future self who could become any of the audience perspectives at any time. |
| 3 | +> *The foundation stones that make codebases accessible to everyone, everywhere* |
| 4 | +
|
| 5 | +Welcome to the heart of the codebase interface philosophy! These eight principles guide every decision and shape how we think about creating truly inclusive development environments. |
| 6 | + |
| 7 | +--- |
| 8 | + |
| 9 | +## 🌟 The Eight Principles |
| 10 | + |
| 11 | +### 1. 👥 **Embrace Every Perspective** |
| 12 | + |
| 13 | +Identify and empathise with all audience perspectives on the codebase |
| 14 | + |
| 15 | +Every codebase serves multiple masters - the **contributor** writing features, the **consumer** integrating it, the **operator** deploying it, the **AI agent** analyzing it, and the **build system** processing it. Great codebases acknowledge this reality and design for all perspectives from day one. |
| 16 | + |
| 17 | +**Why this matters**: When you only optimize for one audience, you create friction for everyone else. The result? Brilliant code that nobody can use, deploy, or maintain effectively. |
| 18 | + |
| 19 | +--- |
| 20 | + |
| 21 | +### 2. 🎭 **Craft Tailored Interfaces** |
| 22 | + |
| 23 | +Provide specific interfaces for each audience perspective |
| 24 | + |
| 25 | +Just as a building has different entrances for visitors, staff, and deliveries, your codebase needs distinct interfaces for each audience. A contributor needs development workflows, while an operator needs deployment guides. |
| 26 | + |
| 27 | +**Why this matters**: One-size-fits-all documentation and interfaces create cognitive overhead. Tailored experiences let each audience focus on what matters to them. |
11 | 28 |
|
12 | 29 | --- |
13 | 30 |
|
14 | | -## What's Next? |
| 31 | +### 3. ✨ **Keep Interfaces Clean** |
15 | 32 |
|
16 | | -Now that you understand the core principles, its time to understand the different audiences of our codebase. |
| 33 | +Ensure each audience interface is clean and remains maintainable |
17 | 34 |
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18 | | -<!-- markdownlint-disable MD033 --> |
19 | | -<div class="navigation-buttons" markdown="1" style="display: grid; grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr; gap: 1rem; margin-top: 1.5rem;"> |
| 35 | +Beautiful interfaces attract consumers, but maintainable interfaces keep them. Design your audience touchpoints to be simple, consistent, and easy to evolve as your project grows. |
20 | 36 |
|
21 | | -<div markdown="1"> |
22 | | -[← Previous: Welcome](../){ .md-button } |
23 | | -</div> |
| 37 | +**Why this matters**: Messy interfaces create barriers to adoption and contribution. Clean interfaces invite participation and reduce onboarding friction. |
| 38 | + |
| 39 | +--- |
| 40 | + |
| 41 | +### 4. 🌐 **Abstract Technology Choices** |
| 42 | + |
| 43 | +Provide a consistent abstraction over languages and frameworks |
| 44 | + |
| 45 | +Whether your project uses Python, Go, Rust, or JavaScript shouldn't change how people interact with it. Standardize on cross-platform tools and conventions that work everywhere. |
| 46 | + |
| 47 | +**Why this matters**: Technology-specific interfaces create silos and limit your project's reach. Universal patterns maximize accessibility and collaboration. |
| 48 | + |
| 49 | +--- |
| 50 | + |
| 51 | +### 5. 🔄 **Enable Universal Replication** |
| 52 | + |
| 53 | +Provide a codebase experience that can be replicated by any audience, anywhere and on any platform |
| 54 | + |
| 55 | +From a developer's laptop to a CI server in the cloud, your codebase should behave predictably. The same commands should work the same way, regardless of who's running them or where. |
| 56 | + |
| 57 | +**Why this matters**: Inconsistent experiences lead to "works on my machine" problems and reduce confidence in your project. |
| 58 | + |
| 59 | +--- |
24 | 60 |
|
25 | | -<div markdown="1" style="text-align: right;"> |
26 | | -[Next: Audiences →](../audiences/){ .md-button .md-button--primary } |
27 | | -</div> |
| 61 | +### 6. 🚀 **Think Beyond Today's Tools** |
28 | 62 |
|
29 | | -</div> |
| 63 | +Do not be constrained by current technology and tools - provoke change to how we would like to interact with codebases over current constraints |
| 64 | + |
| 65 | +Don't just accept that "this is how we've always done it." Imagine the ideal codebase experience and work backwards to create it, even if it means challenging established practices. |
| 66 | + |
| 67 | +**Why this matters**: Innovation happens when we question assumptions and design for the future we want, not just the present we're stuck with. |
| 68 | + |
| 69 | +--- |
| 70 | + |
| 71 | +### 7. 🛠️ **Choose Universal Tools** |
| 72 | + |
| 73 | +Utilise cross platform and cross IDE tools and technologies to provide the interfaces |
| 74 | + |
| 75 | +Favor tools that work in VS Code, Vim, IntelliJ, and the command line. Prefer solutions that run on Windows, macOS, and Linux without modification. |
| 76 | + |
| 77 | +**Why this matters**: Tool-specific solutions create barriers and force unnecessary choices on your consumers. Universal tools maximize participation. |
| 78 | + |
| 79 | +--- |
| 80 | + |
| 81 | +### 8. ⏰ **Design for Future You** |
| 82 | + |
| 83 | +Empathise with your own future self who could become any of the audience perspectives at any time |
| 84 | + |
| 85 | +Today's contributor becomes tomorrow's operator. Design interfaces that will still make sense to you six months from now, when you're wearing a different hat and your memory is fuzzy. |
| 86 | + |
| 87 | +**Why this matters**: We all switch contexts constantly. Interfaces that work for every version of yourself create lasting value and reduce cognitive burden. |
| 88 | + |
| 89 | +--- |
| 90 | + |
| 91 | +## 💫 The Ripple Effect |
| 92 | + |
| 93 | +These principles work together to create something magical: **codebases that welcome everyone**. When you design for multiple perspectives, use universal tools, and think beyond today's constraints, you create environments where: |
| 94 | + |
| 95 | +- 🎯 **New contributors** can get productive quickly |
| 96 | +- 🔧 **Operators** can deploy with confidence |
| 97 | +- 🤖 **AI agents** can provide accurate assistance |
| 98 | +- 🏗️ **Build systems** can process reliably |
| 99 | +- 👥 **Teams** can collaborate seamlessly |
| 100 | + |
| 101 | +--- |
| 102 | + |
| 103 | +## 🎯 Putting Principles into Practice |
| 104 | + |
| 105 | +Ready to see these principles in action? Understanding your audience is the crucial next step in creating interfaces that truly serve everyone. |
| 106 | + |
| 107 | +### Navigation |
| 108 | + |
| 109 | +**← [Previous: Welcome](../)** |
| 110 | +**→ [Next: Audiences](../audiences/)** ⭐ |
| 111 | + |
| 112 | +--- |
30 | 113 |
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31 | | -<style> |
32 | | -@media (max-width: 768px) { |
33 | | - .navigation-buttons { |
34 | | - display: grid !important; |
35 | | - grid-template-columns: 1fr !important; |
36 | | - gap: 0.5rem !important; |
37 | | - } |
38 | | - .navigation-buttons > div:last-child { |
39 | | - text-align: left !important; |
40 | | - } |
41 | | -} |
42 | | -</style> |
43 | | -<!-- markdownlint-enable MD033 --> |
| 114 | +*Remember: Great codebases aren't just about great code - they're about great experiences for everyone who touches them.* |
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