Simplicity Glossary
Browse 9 simplicity terms defined in plain English, from the cultural dictionary of computing.
9 Simplicity Terms
- Code Simplicity
- The quality of code being straightforward, readable, and low in unnecessary complexity. In engineering culture simplicity is often treated as hard-won rather...
- Flat Is Better
- A slogan-like reminder that simpler flatter structures are often easier to understand and maintain than deeply nested or layered ones. In engineering slang,...
- KISS
- Keep It Simple, Stupid — a design principle stating that most systems work best when they are kept simple rather than made complicated. Attributed to aircraft...
- Less Is More
- A maxim favoring simplicity, restraint, and reducing unnecessary complexity. In engineering slang, 'less is more' gets invoked when the team needs permission...
- Monolith
- A software application built as a single, unified unit where all components share the same codebase and deploy together. Once the default, now sometimes used...
- Stupid Simple
- Extremely simple in a way that is intentionally hard to misuse or misunderstand. In engineering slang, stupid simple is praise for designs that remove...
- Vanilla
- Plain, standard, or uncustomized. In engineering slang, vanilla setups are often easier to support because they stay closer to common assumptions and...
- YAGNI
- You Aren't Gonna Need It — a principle of extreme programming that states a programmer should not add functionality until deemed necessary. The antidote to...
- YAGNI Slang
- Informal use of the idea that you aren't going to need a speculative feature or abstraction yet. In engineering slang, invoking YAGNI is a way to cut imagined...
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- Slang (5 terms in common)
- Principle (2 terms in common)
- Design (1 terms in common)
- Xp (1 terms in common)
- Pragmatism (1 terms in common)
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- Design Principles (1 terms in common)
- Software (1 terms in common)
- Scope Control (1 terms in common)
- Traditional (1 terms in common)
- Defaults (1 terms in common)
- Craft (1 terms in common)
- Architecture (1 terms in common)