My theory for speeding up web app development
I have a theory and so far it has worked out correctly. There are three ways to complete a web application project. The wrong way is to skip the planning step and just start designing and coding. This greatly decreases the chance of finishing your project. However there are two ways that I’ve used to complete projects:
1. planning
1. coding
1. designing
In essence you write your code and then make it look pretty after you’re done.
1. planning
1. designing
1. coding
With this you create the look of your application and then add the code afterwards.
My theory is that getting the application or website’s interface done first and then doing the code afterwards helps you get it done more quickly. So far it’s helping me.
You’re very likely right, Americo. It may be even more complex than I thought. For example, if your application has a lot of business logic, then it makes sense to create your classes and backend code before or in parallel with the design. If your application is a lot of template logic, i.e. simply grabbing data and causing it to show in the correct place, then it probably helps to have the design done first.
My english is not as good as I would like to so I’ll be very brief: I’ve explored both ways and certainly there are even and odds in both of them. Doing ‘the artwork’ before the ‘engineering work’ may deliver a good looking app, but perharps code will follow the form, and not the function; and doing the inverse process, will increase the ‘impedance mismatch factor’ between business logic and interfaces.
So my generic solution is: Work this two aspects independently and take your time to implement some flavor of ‘veiw helpers’ to short the distance between logic and interface. It works nice for me.
It has a second advantage: you can develop a method, which can be a very valuable tool for success replication.
That’s my point of view.
Great Blog!
Américo Patetta, Montevideo, Uruguay.