General vs. Special-Purpose Review Lens

When invoked with $ARGUMENTS, focus the analysis on the specified file or module. Read the target code first, then apply the checks below.

General-purpose modules are surprisingly simpler, deeper and less effort to build. They produce better information hiding and can even provide these benefits when used in a single context. Because a general-purpose interface doesn't need to know about specific callers, the knowledge always stays where it belongs.

When to Apply

• Designing a new module, API, or utility
• When a module has use-case-specific logic embedded in it
• When a module's interface is cluttered with rarely-used parameters
• When deciding between a flexible API and a specific one

Core Principles

The Generality Test

"What is the simplest interface that will cover all my current needs?" — John Ousterhout, A Philosophy of Software Design