I’ve been a bystander in the Software Craftsmanship movement so far. I’m not sure why. I like the idea of software craftsmanship. I’m just not sure what it means in practice.

I’ve read the manifesto and considered signing it. I agree with the aims expressed there. I’ve also read the blogs of those skeptical or confused about the manifesto. I can’t decide what to do about it.

The best overview of the software craftsmanship idea is Mark Levinson’s Call to Arms article on InfoQ. It describes software craftsmanship as a response to the typical coding grind, where just-barely-good-enough software is shoveled out the door as rapidly as possible.

I understand and appreciate the feeling; I’ve been there. I know how much it hurts to release bad products that frustrate customers. But I’m not sure the software craftsmanship community has a solution to that problem yet. It’s early days, though, and over the past few months I’ve discovered some interesting ideas about software craftsmanship.

Glimmerings of hope

Recently I listened to a Hanselminutes podcast where Bob Martin discusses professionalism in programming. Uncle Bob made three points that caught my ear. He said that programming professionals:

1. Embrace testing. When making changes to code, software craftsmen hold to the principle first do no harm.
2. Refactor always. This ensures flexibility in the codebase by “keeping the gears lubricated.” Be mindful of small improvements you can make to your software. This prepares the way for making bigger changes later.
3. Learn continuously. Professionals practice their current skills and attempt to master new ones.

On the subject of continuous learning, I recently watched Mary Poppendieck discuss deliberate practice in a webcast on InfoQ. The summary: To become an expert in any field, you need to seek out coaches that teach the skills you need and spend focused time practicing those skills. Continuous learning is about gathering resources, understanding the material, and gaining experience through repeated effort.

After listening to these two programming mavens, I remembered something I’d read a while back on Coding Horror about code kata. Dave Thomas, of pragmatic programming fame, coined the term code kata for exercises designed to improve programming skills. He has a list of code kata, but other code kata catalogs have appeared as well.

From strategy to tactics to execution

So maybe there’s hope for the software craftsmanship movement after all. We’ve moved from talking about abstract goals to ideas we can put into practice. There’s a slow consensus building as to what a professional looks like and how one becomes a professional. That’s encouraging.

Ultimately, software craftsmanship isn’t about signing a pledge. It’s about delivering quality product.

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