I was reading the first chapter of Better, Faster, Lighter Java from Bruce Tate. I haven’t read the whole book yet but I found the first chapter very interesting and I can’t wait to read the rest of the book. The basic idea behind the book is that programming languages cannot avoid the inevitable ‘bloat’ and Java has crossed that border:
Typical applications use too many design patterns, too much XML, and too many Enterprise JavaBeans.
Bruce proposes some alternatives for dealing with the bloat in Java:
- Change nothing; hope that Java will change.
- Buy a highly integrated family of tools, frameworks, or applications, and let a vendor shield you from the bloat.
- Quit Java for another object-oriented language.
- Quit object-oriented languages for another paradigm
- Spend time and effort becoming a master craftsman.
After presenting these alternatives, Bruce declares that his “choice is to actively fight the bloat.” He proposes five basic principles to achieve this:
- Keep it Simple
- Do One Thing, and Do It Well
- Strive for Transparency
- Allow For Extension
- You Are What You Eat
Since he wrote this book, Bruce has publicly ‘walked away’ from Java to adopt Ruby and Rails. In essence, it seems he followed the ‘Quit Java for another object-oriented alternatives’ even though his claim was to ‘fight the bloat.’ I found this very interesting. Did he realize that his attempt to fight the bloat is not the best solution?
I know he wrote Beyond Java and From Java to Ruby after writing Better Java so I wonder if he answers my question in these books. I guess I’ll have to read on. Mmm… I wonder if that was planned by Bruce… that would be great Buzz Marketing.
