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by taeric 4110 days ago
If you haven't, you really need to see this post.[1] Starting simple and writing a test driven algorithm is not necessarily bad. However, realize that you are really just turning the act of finding the optimum solution into a search space where you have to assume mostly forward progress at all times. Not a safe assumption. At all.

And, because I love the solution, here is a link to my sudoku solver.[2] I will confess some more tests along the way would have been wise, though I was blessed by a problem I could just try out quickly. (That is, running the entire program is already fast. Not sure of the value on running the tiny parts faster.)

[1] http://ravimohan.blogspot.com/2007/04/learning-from-sudoku-s...

[2] http://taeric.github.io/Sudoku.html
1 comments
lmm 4109 days ago
I've seen it, but it's just utterly alien to my experience. Partly the problems I encounter professionally don't look much like Sudoku; partly the things that are important on a large codebase are different from the things that are important in a small example. But mostly I think people realise they're not getting somewhere - and if they don't, others will point it out. That's partly why TDD tends to be found in the same place as agile with daily standups - you get that daily outside view that stops you just spinning your wheels the way that blogger did.
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taeric 4109 days ago
I have seen exactly this style of thinking happen in a large code base. Some of it was my own, sadly.

The odd thing to me, is you say this still of problem doesn't happen in a large code base. But, to me, this style of problem just happens many times in a large codebase. That is, large problems are just made up of smaller problems. Have I ever used the DLX problem? No. Do I appreciate that it is a good way to look at a problem you are working? Definitely. I wish I had more time to consider the implications there.

More subtly in your post, to me, is the idea that with the right people the problems don't happen. This leads me to this lovely piece.[1]

[1] http://www.ckwop.me.uk/Meditation-driven-development.html

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