create primitives with this property, create ways to combine them that maintain the property, and build up from there
I agree both about the power of this approach and the fact that virtually no one does it. Even once one grasps the rough idea it can be hard to see one's way forward building a system this way, not because it's intrinsically more difficult but because it's so out of step with most software culture and we're all profoundly influenced by our milieu.
It reminds me of a favorite Alan Kay quote: Take the hardest and most profound thing you need to do, make it great, and then build every easier thing out of it. We need more examples of systems like this.
I agree both about the power of this approach and the fact that virtually no one does it. Even once one grasps the rough idea it can be hard to see one's way forward building a system this way, not because it's intrinsically more difficult but because it's so out of step with most software culture and we're all profoundly influenced by our milieu.
It reminds me of a favorite Alan Kay quote: Take the hardest and most profound thing you need to do, make it great, and then build every easier thing out of it. We need more examples of systems like this.