Summary

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The symptoms of Brittle Bones are:

• A large number of missing features in code that has or will be used as a basis for other code, making the code too minimal or overly simple.

• An abundance of unused or overly complicated features in code that has or will be used as a basis for other code, making the code overly complete.

• A myriad of different styles and components that are difficult to keep track of and understand.

• A feedback cycle of workarounds and poor code that creates more workarounds and poor code until the system is unmanageable.

To prevent Brittle Bones:

• Perform sufficient initial design based on project type, team makeup, and methodology chosen.

• Look for a balance between design work and coding that provides a solid foundation without excess time wasted.

To cure the effects of Brittle Bones:

• Stop working on new features when a flaw has been found in the foundation code.

• Analyze the code to discover all problems with the foundation code.

• Refactor the foundation code with the new knowledge gained from the problem analysis.

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