Programming with Reason...

Image via Wikipedia

First Graphical User Interface

I just read an article in Dr. Dobb's entitled Programming with Reason: 1. The article does not cover any new ground. I have read these programming mantras before. However, it is often mentioned that the more you see something, you are more likely to remember it; marketing.

Anyway, the general programming rules are:

1. Simplicity: design programs to do exactly what they need to do and no more.
2. Elegance: simple programs which do what they need to do an do no more are elegant. This can be achieved by abstraction, and encapsulation.
3. Graphical User Interfaces (GUI): a simple elegant program must have the same aspects in its interface. The author, and I have both admittedly created a "quick" mock-up for an interface only to have it become the final one. The eyes are the path to the soul, and your GUI is the path to your program. Don't create a bloodshot allergenic interface unless you want to hurt your users eyes.

Again, nothing new here, but something worth reminding all of us to take into consideration everyday.