[mjl-]

exactly. when i read the question i thought: i bet you are using some dynamic scripting language.

use a language a programming style that lets you catch errors early. it's amazing how much time i've wasted testing for errors after small changes in ruby programs. errors that a decent language & compiler wouldn't have allowed or detected much earlier. some languages just weren't designed with this in mind. i no longer program in ruby.

related: once upon a time, i had the idea that i should be able to write a program and have it compiler & work at the first & final attempt. code was in c. of course that failed miserably. especially with the lack of c coding experience. the lesson: don't try to be silly/"smart", use the tools to your advantage. (if your tools don't have advantages, don't use them).