Related Illnesses

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Brittle Bones is related to all three major illnesses and a couple minor illnesses as well, thus reflecting its far-reaching nature. All three major illnesses can lead to a brittle framework that is the major symptom of Brittle Bones. First, Premature Optimization causes unnecessary dependencies to be formed between different sections of code. This reduces encapsulation and abstraction and subsequently weakens the base framework. Cut-and-paste programming also leads to a poor foundation that is difficult to maintain. Functionality is likely to change in one place but not in another, thus causing odd behavior for which it is difficult to find the cause. Cut-and-paste also limits the reusability of code in the foundation, making it less complete. Finally, being struck by NIH Syndrome means that the entire foundation must be written by the team. This increases the time to develop the foundation and the need to test thoroughly or risk errors. Using third-party solutions can greatly accelerate the initial foundation work, and these solutions should be seriously considered.

Brittle Bones can also be part of the cause for a CAP Epidemic. An incomplete foundation will require extra duplication of structures on top to make the code base stable. This duplication will generally result in many of the symptoms that plague cut-and-paste, and will often be the direct result of using the cut-and-paste feature. Keep a careful eye out for this so that it can be cured promptly.

The two minor illnesses that can cause Brittle Bones are closely related themselves. Complexification can cause a foundation that is overly complex and difficult to use, or in other words, a foundation that is too complete. Over Simplification causes a foundation with the opposite problem, a framework that is too minimal. Both of these lead to a cascade of errors due to missing or misunderstood functionality. As with all other causes of Brittle Bones, these must be remedied quickly to prevent further costs.

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