[et1337]

I prefer a more focused version of this principle: you should organize your data in a way that makes the design apparent. The code will follow later.

This principle still works with the author's example. Most of the refactoring he did boiled down to modeling the data more accurately.

[lttlrck]

Algorithms + Data Structures = Program

This was something that was stressed by my mentor, who was a mathematician turned programmer and a big fan of Niklaus Wirth. It has proven valuable to me on numerous occasions and informs design.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algorithms_%2B_Data_Structur...

[kochthesecond]

I also try to stress this principle. Data and its structure is the most important part, and bring accurate and explicit, lets the author communicate their design better than mountains of doc.

Or inversely: if the data presented are complex and convoluted, you will need mountains of docs to try explain its design.