YAGNI
/ˈjæɡ.ni/ · Abbreviation · Principle · Slang & Abbreviations
Definitions
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 over-engineering. Usually correct, occasionally embarrassing.
In plain English: A programming principle meaning: don't build features you think you might need someday — only build what you need right now.
Etymology
- 1990s
- Extreme Programming practitioners coin YAGNI (You Ain't Gonna Need It), arguing against implementing features until they're actually required
- 1999
- Ron Jeffries and other XP founders formalize YAGNI as a core principle in 'Extreme Programming Installed'
- 2010s
- YAGNI remains one of the most invoked (and debated) principles in software engineering — the tension between preparedness and simplicity never resolves