What are common signs of non-orthogonal code?

Signs include 'shotgun surgery' (changing one feature requires editing many files), tight coupling between components, and cascading failures where a change in one module breaks another unexpectedly.

Can I use this skill with any programming language?

Yes, while the skill provides specific examples in Elixir and TypeScript, the principles of orthogonality, such as dependency injection and event-driven design, are applicable to all modern programming languages.

How does this skill improve code maintainability?

By promoting localized changes, it reduces the complexity of debugging, makes components easier to test in isolation, and significantly increases code reusability.

What is the Orthogonality Principle in software design?

It is a design principle where components are independent and non-overlapping, ensuring that changing one part of the system does not require changes in or affect other unrelated parts.

Orthogonality Principle

Name: Orthogonality Principle
Author: TheBushidoCollective

byTheBushidoCollective

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API Development

Design decoupled, independent system components to ensure changes in one module do not trigger unexpected ripple effects elsewhere.

About

The Orthogonality Principle skill provides a framework for building software systems where components are independent and non-overlapping. By emphasizing separation of concerns, interface segregation, and event-driven architectures, this skill helps developers eliminate 'shotgun surgery' and change amplification. It is particularly useful during the architectural design phase or during refactoring to transform tightly coupled monoliths into maintainable, testable, and reusable modules across diverse tech stacks like Elixir and TypeScript.

Key Features

Implementation patterns for Separation of Concerns and Dependency Injection
Identification of non-orthogonal red flags like tight coupling and duplicate logic
Guidance on Interface Segregation to create focused, minimal APIs
Strategies for Event-Driven Architecture to decouple services
39 GitHub stars
Data orthogonality techniques to maintain a single source of truth

Use Cases

Refactoring complex controllers into independent, testable service modules
Designing robust APIs where parameters and return values are localized
Resolving cascading bug patterns by decoupling unrelated business logic

About

Key Features

Implementation patterns for Separation of Concerns and Dependency Injection
Identification of non-orthogonal red flags like tight coupling and duplicate logic
Guidance on Interface Segregation to create focused, minimal APIs
Strategies for Event-Driven Architecture to decouple services
39 GitHub stars
Data orthogonality techniques to maintain a single source of truth

Use Cases

Refactoring complex controllers into independent, testable service modules
Designing robust APIs where parameters and return values are localized
Resolving cascading bug patterns by decoupling unrelated business logic