Keep it small

Make each change so small that a mistake in it is cheap to find and cheap to undo.

  1. Stop 1, next

    Smallest change minimal diff

    Think of it when a fix starts to touch files that the problem never touched.

    StartAbout 3 minutes. The word for it comes at the end.

  2. Stop 2, next

    Steps you can check verifiable units

    Think of it when a task is a long run of similar edits, such as a rename across many files or a move of many records.

    StartAbout 3 minutes. The word for it comes at the end.

  3. Stop 3, next

    Thin, all the way through vertical slice

    Think of it when a feature touches several layers, or a plan says "first all the database work, then all the screens".

    StartAbout 3 minutes. The word for it comes at the end.

  4. Stop 4, next

    Delete first subtract before you add

    Think of it when you are about to add a feature to code that already has old paths, unused options or repeated checks.

    StartAbout 3 minutes. The word for it comes at the end.