Functional core, imperative shell (2012)

This basic idea has deeply infected how I approach software architecture and design. When someone asks me why I wrote something a particular way, it's usually because I'm trying to keep the imperative/environmental concerns separate from the functional/algorithmic concerns. I end up recommending this video at least once every year. (EDIT: Another one from Gary that pairs well is "Boundaries": https://www.destroyallsoftware.com/talks/boundaries . The core idea is that values -- data, not code -- should form the…

I like to build this way when possible. Unfortunately, I find many people - especially tech leads - resistant to this approach. The first and most common reason is, "Why do I need this? What we are doing is fine." Or when the attitude is positive about it, the common issue is, "I think this would be too difficult for our devs to adopt." I find both of these scenarios disappointing and frustrating, because technology (and software) is usually about…