Programming Conventions

Description of file structures, naming conventions, and coding conventions used through the Giterary codebase.

TODO: MVC-ish

TODO: git, git_html, and everything else.

TODO: gen_* functions

TODO: git_* functions

• Why don’t you use library X to do Y? Wouldn’t that be easier?

  Or: Why did you build your own templating system, git interface, user permissions, and user auth systems?

  At least I used git, doesn’t that count? :)

  It’s hard to strike a good distance between a piece of code doing exactly what you want and the amount of work it takes to get you there. Some problems are better left to those with doctorates in computer science or mathematics, or those that get paid handsomely to solve such problems for their employers.

  It’s rare that I find a programming library that solves a particular set of problems in ways that:

  • Fit with my level of paranoia
  • Fit with my level of vague technological elitism
  • “Get out of my way” if I want to do something that might be considered unwise.

  I don’t pretend to be a great programmer, and I’m usually willing to defer to the expertise of others. However, sometimes you have to do bad things © for good reasons. Using libraries built on the design decisions of others means that eventually your requirements draw outside the lines of the intended use of a library. I appreciate the risks. But I don’t like to be constrained by them.

  Also, package management. There are great systems out there that manage packages and their dependencies. I like to build things that are simple enough that they don’t require package management, or, can exist without the need for package management.