Quote Series Part 5 - Code

This is part five of the series, to see what this series is about, click here.

Quotes on "Code"

Code degrades naturally, it needs refactoring constantly - ObjectMentor coach

Treat the system as a growing organism... failing tests equal the need for a behavior modification - ObjectMentor coach

Always check it in in a better state than you checked it out. - ObjectMentor coach

Don't let code sleep - things happen while you're asleep. (tests must pass on "sleeping" code) - Tim Ottinger

Switch pairs whenever you need to, it is not an insult but a way towards knowledge transfer and efficiency. - ObjectMentor coach

Refactoring: A series of small steps, each of which changes the program’s internal structure without changing its external behavior - Martin Fowler

Code left unchecked-in for a week is like milk unrefrigerated for a week. Eww. - James Shore

By far the dominant reason for not releasing sooner was a reluctance to trade the dream of success for the reality of feedback. - Kent Beck

Reading other people's code is the best way to learn. - Uncle Bob Martin

The mere presence of a great source control system doesn't obligate anyone to use it in a structured, rational way. No. That takes discipline - Jeff Atwood

Architecture without executable code is just an hallucination - Ivar Jacobson

Best code = non existent code - Amit Rathore @ Lean Kanban 2009

Note: where I can, I've credited or linked the source of the quote. Finding the source of a quote is like chasing a ghost. When a mentor says something witty, you might not know they are quoting someone else. If you are aware of a more appropriate source for any quote, PLEASE put a comment on the post and I'll do what I can to validate this. I mean no disrespect to anyone. I believe the risk of incorrect citings is outweighed by the value of sharing these wonderful nuggets.