Exploring Alternatives

Overview

Don't settle for the first design you think of. Try multiple approaches, compare trade-offs, pick the best, THEN implement.

Core principle: Design is cheap to iterate. Code is expensive. Once you write code, emotional attachment makes it hard to throw away. Explore alternatives while iteration is still cheap.

Violating the letter of this rule is violating the spirit of good design.

When to Use

Always use before implementing:

• Non-trivial features
• Complex algorithms
• System design decisions
• Refactoring approaches
• Architecture choices
• Data structure selection