Not This Time
I am in the middle of writing my own content management system. Yes, they are becoming a commodity. But, I’ve always wanted to write my own and now I am. I’ll find time to fit it into my busy schedule — I’ve bought into it, and I think I can make it pretty damn good. I’ll post up some screenshots when I can; I have a ton on the agenda to finish off today.
In accordance with this software development, I’ve realized some things that have totally hindered me in the past:
- You don’t need a plan to create software on a whim
- Fight through complexity
First, the aspect about not needing a plan. It’s very easy when it’s just you to get totally immersed in "analysis paralysis". Could I create Gantt charts, work charters, and a detailed WBS? Of course. Would that help me get the software done. No way, not in 1 million years. I’ve found it’s best to do it on a whim, because I have gone the "planning" / project management route with this stuff. When you are attempting to create a one-off, sweet-ass functionality & technology type thing, it’s best to stay as far away from the structure as possible. Entrepreneur’s will also attest to this.
Fighting through complexity has always been a tough one for me. I usually get to a point where I think, "my code is a mess, I need to make it cleaner". So, I’ll erase it all, start again and never end-up getting very far. The code becoming messy is a function of it’s complexity. Again, the planning comes into play here — through caution to the wind and just get it to work. Write the crap you need, and move on — nothing more.
I finally broke down and ordered the parts I’ve needed for my quickly aging PowerBook. I actually need a new PowerBook, but they are a little out of my price range / budget at the moment. So, I hope my new keyboard and DVI -> ADC adapter allow me to use my Mac freely and with my old school 20" cinema display once more.
One thing that I have realized over the last few days while starting to coding process of my CMS is that I love OS X for coding — WAY more so than Windows. I can now say I’ve tried both, and BBEdit with CVS works best for me. That’s not to say Windows is bad for development — not at all. There are plenty of great tools out there to make it a smooth process. It’s just not for me.
Back to the code!
