Ask HN: Your Software Development Methodology?

[nns]

So, you've had a brilliant idea that you can't wait to develop!

You've setup your code repos, development environments and all the infrastructure you need to write your software.

What's the very first thing you tackle when you start to write code? User Stories? Use Cases? Database Design? API?

I am beginning to write a new web application that am extremely excited about and was curious to know the thought process people use to approach an idea.

[fmstephe]

Are you writing this on your own? If you are on your own then any methodology will probably be inappropriate. Most methodologies expend most of their energy (and rightly so) coordinating communication between team members, stake holders.

For my solo projects I just hack. I would recommend the following highlights (for me personally). On your solo project you can now DO all TODOs. Litter the code base with those little buggers. TODOs can make a very effective replacement (or supplement) to bug/task tracking systems.

Make sure you have a fast build. I will make the assumption that you are writing unit tests and say, optimise those so they whizz by after new feature is coded up. When they get slow, refactor them like a monster until they are fast again.

All in all (and the list above is really specific to me) you can now optimize for your development pleasure. Do this! That is the best methodology I know.

[bjoerns]

One of my biggest issues when starting to write new code on my own is that I find myself quite often being carried away. So what I force myself to do these days is to write down a few user stories, nothing too fancy but just to have an outline of what I really want to do. Next steps are unit tests and then coding up the model which goes hand in hand with db design. Putting together the UI is another one that requires a lot of discipline as I often find it too tempting fiddling around with design details instead of putting together the functionality first and do the design bit in the end. So yeah, after models build controllers and the views, not worrying too much about the looks. Just my way of doing things, would be interested in other peoples approaches!

[nns → bjoerns]

I agree. The sames true with me. I find myself getting distracted and fiddling around with new frameworks and libraries. I think I'll try your approach of nailing myself down to a Functionality First approach !