Craftsmanship | 8th Light

Here’s What Happened: Five Things We Learned About Unit Tests from David Scott Bernstein

Learning, sharing, growth. Those three things are what brought together 60 software crafters on a Thursday evening in Seattle, Washington. David Scott Bernstein, the author...more.

8th Light teams up with Adorable, opens new office in Madison, Wis.

I’ve been fortunate throughout my career to be mentored and influenced by my peers. 8th Light belongs to a community of software that is more...more.

Diversity, Inclusion, and 8th Light

8th Light is committed to diversity and inclusion, and the recent conversations in the tech community have been an important reminder that we need to...more.

The Principles of Chess and Software

I’ve been playing a lot of chess as part of my apprenticeship at 8th Light. It helps me step away when I get bogged down...more.

Two Design Patterns You're Probably Already Using

I came into this field from a very non-technical background. And when I say very non-technical, I mean that I was an elementary fine arts...more.

Forcing Function in Software Development Processes

I first came across the idea of forcing function from reading The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande. The premise is that in fields such as...more.

Build as much as you can

A pottery teacher splits the two sections of her introductory class into a "quantity" group and "quality" group. Students in the "quantity" group are graded...more.

Ginny Hendry: A Legacy of Learning

Ginny Hendry, an 8th Light Crafter and Owner, passed away Monday, February 6. Ginny joined 8th Light in 2012 and was a great mentor and...more.

Common Code Smells

Developers are typically trained to look out for and guard against logical errors that have been accidentally introduced to their code. Such errors will range...more.

Optimizing your workflow with Vim

When I first started working in Vim, reading Bram Moolenaar's Seven Habits of Effective Text Editing was very helpful. In it, he outlines three fundamental...more.

Reducing Software Costs and Mitigating Risk

Ideally, software should cost less than the value it creates. For an established product, we may be able to easily calculate the ROI and determine...more.

The problematic pull request

Code reviews are a wonderful thing. Multiple pairs of eyes make for higher quality code. Reviews help spot errors and also serve as a teaching...more.

Don't make it perfect, make it work and refine

Have you ever had trouble starting something? I'm not talking about starting a car in winter, but some work, maybe a new project or a...more.

Perfect code is an illusion

Much of our programmer culture is built on the ideal of perfect code: code which not only works, but is also clean and elegant. We...more.

Wear Your Uniform

1995, Taiwan Taiwan was going through a series of education reforms in the '90s. Our teachers started to incorporate new teaching methods inspired by the...more.

The Why: A Better Git Commit Message

I was recently tasked with fixing a third-party integration issue that started occurring suddenly and with no apparent reason. The source of the problem was...more.

Make Yourself Dispensable

Why make yourself dispensable? Because we are all going to lose our jobs at some point in our careers. Making ourselves dispensable on our own...more.

The Third Bricklayer

robert gu
03 Oct 2016
Craftsmanship

There is a story of three bricklayers. Each one was asked what they were working on. The first bricklayer answered gruffly, “Isn’t it obvious, I’m...more.

The egoless programmer

If you want to be successful at writing code, then you’d best keep your ego out of it. That’s the essence of egoless programming, a...more.

Fundamental tensions in code smells

I recently saw a terrific talk by Sandi Metz at the Abstractions conference where she encouraged the audience to learn to identify the concrete code...more.

A Good Craftsman Never Blames His Tools

The old adage states that a good craftsman never blames his tools, but what if he knows there is a better tool out there for...more.

Are you a wise developer?

My three-year-old son has the right idea—he questions everything we say. My son: "Where are you going?" Me: "I have to go to work." My...more.

8th Light Acquires WisdomGroup

I’m excited to announce that 8th Light has agreed to acquire WisdomGroup, the leading voice in Chicago’s vibrant Ruby community. This acquisition combines two powerful...more.

The Onboarding Checklist

One of the perks of being a consultant is that we get to work with many different teams. During my first tenure at 8th Light,...more.

What will your legacy [code] be?

The words "legacy code" strike fear into the hearts of developers everywhere. Behind that fear, legacy code means it's slow to understand existing behavior, slow...more.

Refactor and Source-Control Your CI

If you're using Jenkins, then you may have a job that has an "Execute Shell" step to build your project. The contents of that step...more.

To Teach is to Learn.

The person who says he knows what he thinks but cannot express it usually does not know what he means. —Mortimer Adler Richard Feynman, like...more.

Staying Clean

If you've ever tried cooking a significant meal in the kitchen, then you know things can get pretty messy: pots here, pans there, dirty plates...more.

That's Not a Decorator!

The Decorator Pattern is one of the most abused and misnamed patterns in all of patterndom. It has deep roots in the patterns movement on...more.

Three A's of Responding to Bugs

The head judge of Top Chef, Tom Colicchio, has expressed a simple mnemonic for dealing with customer problems in a restaurant setting. There are three...more.

A Methodical Approach to Dealing With Bugs

Bugs, defects, issues, glitches, hidden features—call them what you want, but inevitably we discover that something in our software system is not working as expected....more.

How to Find a Bug in Your Code

So you’ve got a bug in your code? How in the world do you find the thing? Here are some of the techniques I use...more.

How to hire a software developer

In recent years, various code schools have flooded the developer markets with hordes of beginners. These schools have done a great job of introducing people...more.

The Stress of Communication

Communication is hard, especially in the software industry that has for whatever reason preferred introverts for decades. That stereotype is slowly eroding, but it doesn’t...more.

Becoming a professional learner

Is the software industry trying to write the script for Hamlet by hiring a million monkeys to bang on keyboards? Robert Martin once used this...more.

How TDD can make your team happier

What makes a software project a joy to work on? Conversely, what can make working on a software project excruciating? For me, I'm the happiest...more.

Refactoring as a Feature Tax

Tax season is here. For many of us, that means filing a tax return to see how much money we get back after any excess...more.

Caring about coding

alexandru codreanu dario garcia lucas giudice
30 Oct 2015
Craftsmanship
Communications
Consulting

As a programmer I spend a lot of time in front of the computer. But despite appearances, I am not there. I am not in...more.

Optimizing the Sustainable Pace

Sustainable pace is an early Extreme Programming concept that was intended to protect programmers from going on “death marches” to meet deadlines that are arbitrary...more.

Internationalize Your Way to Cleaner Code

If your project is localized, it’s probably internationalized. If it isn’t, there’s a good chance it’s not. Depending on your familiarity with those terms, the...more.

Program Like a Debater: Character, Commitment, Team Work, Hard Work

During my time as a debater, I had the privilege of working under the greatest coach in the history of college debate: Larry Scott Deatherage....more.

Loosely Coupled Tests

Test Driven Development (TDD) has a plethora of benefits, but the one that stands out for me is how it helps to unify a team....more.

Introducing 8th Light London

When I moved from Chicago to open 8th Light’s London office in January of 2014, 8th Light already had a couple of clients in the...more.

Los Angeles Mastery Cohort Code Katas

micah martin tom kowal tony baik zach olauson javier saldana jayden sung dave moore
12 Jun 2015
Coding
Community
Craftsmanship
Clojure

8th Light's software craftsmen are bonded together by their singular pursuit of mastery. We challenge ourselves constantly to learn and grow through a combination of...more.

[Un]Planned Obsolescence in Software

Every time I walk to the 8th Light office from Union Station, I end up looking at Old Chicago Main Post Office in awe. Originally...more.

The Cumulative Effect of Inefficient Workflows

In 2009, I started an internship at a Los Angeles-based audio/video post production studio. The audio engineer I was learning from was an avid musician...more.

When the going gets tough, craftsmen stay tougher

Our team greeted the end of the workday with a long, collective sigh. After banging their heads against a wall for two days, Nathan and...more.

Loose Coupling in Go lang

Go lang offers a wide range of features that help us achieve loosely coupled program designs. Coupling refers to the direct knowledge that an element...more.

They Won't Be Interested

"They won't be interested in looking at code. All they care about is the UI." If you work professionally as a developer, I'm willing to...more.

Three Short Sentences

The Project A few years ago, I was tasked with the migration of data across build, staging, and production environments. It was heavy with software...more.

Mistaking Encapsulation for Abstraction

"Abstract" is a commonly used word in software. I hear it a few times every day. "Can we make an abstraction around this?" "Let's move...more.

How is Pairing Working?

Pair programming always works. To explain why, we will take a look at an important study which explains how people learn in social contexts. The...more.

Student Centered Learning in Software

Before I started working at 8th Light I spent two years at a boarding school teaching German, Economics, and coaching fencing. Although I didn’t study...more.

Happy Birthday, Software Craftsmanship Manifesto!

Today marks the 5th Anniversary of the publication of the Manifesto for Software Craftsmanship. We are doing a couple of things to celebrate to mark...more.

Five Years of Raising the Bar

Five years ago, a handful of us nervously deployed a little application that held some pretty lofty ideals for the future of software development. We...more.

We are Principled: 11th Edition

We show respect for our customers and fellow software crafters. We do not act unprofessionally or unethically. —from the 8th Light Principles of Productive Partnerships...more.

Courage vs. Cargo Cults

During the Second World War, both the Japanese and United States armies set up bases on remote islands in the Pacific Ocean. The islands’ inhabitants,...more.

Yes, and...

Saying “no” is hard, even if it’s to a close friend. In a professional environment, however, it can be important and often far more difficult....more.

Stuck in the Muck

In 1826 Marc Isambard Brunel and Isambard Kingdom Brunel, a father and son engineering team, sought to build a tunnel under the Thames river in...more.

Another Kind of Intelligence

Back when I started grad school, one of my housemates asked me to help her with a project. For a Sociology class, she had been...more.

I Am Not An Island

One of our core values at 8th Light is Community. We believe that no craftsman is an island. They engage with a team and the...more.

Set the Tone With Project Setup

In The Pragmatic Programmer, Andy Hunt and Dave Thomas talk about software entropy and the broken windows theory. The premise of the broken windows theory...more.

Honesty Under Pressure

“We're behind, but it’s important to show that we can deliver these features.” “Now is the time to show how good of a job we...more.

Reflections on the 8th Light Principles - Stretching your Boundaries

As craftsmen, we admire and encourage a sustainable pace. We also encourage ourselves to always be learning, to always be expanding our knowledge and abilities....more.

The Right Tests in the Wrong Order

For those new to Test Driven Development, understanding how to take small, incremental steps when writing your tests can be a confounding practice. Even the...more.

We are Principled: 10th Edition

We partner with our customers to understand their business. We do not propose solutions until we are sure we have found the right problem. —from...more.

Procedural Polymorphism

Is your code really telling you to use an if statement? As a developer, it is really important to practice your craft. And a great...more.

What is a Craftsman?

ben voss
10 Jun 2013
Craftsmanship

“Well, why are you afraid to say that you are a craftsman to other people?” A friend was recounting his discussion over beers with some...more.

We are Principled: 9th Edition

We communicate our progress honestly and openly with our customers. We do not conceal or embellish. —from the 8th Light Principles of Productive Partnerships My...more.

We are Principled: 8th Edition

Steadily Adding Value We estimate with diligence. We do not let fear or pressure make us promise what we can’t deliver. Estimation is Difficult As...more.

We are Principled: 7th Edition

We work at a sustainable pace. We do not burn out. —from the 8th Light Principles of Steadily Adding Value At 8th Light, we devote...more.

We are Principled: 6th Edition

We take responsibility for the correctness of our code by testing it thoroughly. We do not tolerate preventable defects. —from the 8th Light Principles of...more.

We are Principled: 5th Edition

We teach anyone with a willingness to learn. We do not hoard our knowledge or practices. —from the 8th Light Principles of A Community of...more.

We are Principled: 4th Edition

We embrace differences of opinion and personality. We do not allow our current practice to impede improvement. —from the 8th Light Principles of A Community...more.

We are Principled: 3rd Edition

We humbly demonstrate our expertise by delivering quality software. We do not inflate our abilities or claim expertise where we have none. —from the 8th...more.

We are Principled: 2nd Edition

We always apply our best efforts to complete our work. We do not make excuses. —from the 8th Light Principles of Steadily Adding Value Everyone...more.

We are Principled: 1st Edition

We continually master a variety of technologies and techniques. We do not let unfamiliarity dissuade us from using the best tools. —from the 8th Light...more.

JIT or AOT Learning?

Our jobs as creators and maintainers of software systems are heavily wrapped up in our ability to learn. Generally we need a base level of...more.

Investing In Our Tools

As developers our workspaces are important to us. As software craftspeople, our tools are part of who we are. How many times do we settle...more.

Counting Mistakes

Have you ever watched an interview with a successful product creator? I have, and lots. Typically the interviewer will ask what mistakes the entrepreneur has...more.

Humble Pursuit of Mastery

I have been reading on blogs and tweets the sentiment that "software craftsmanship is elitism". This perception is formed around comments of code, process, or...more.

How to be a great pair

The absolute best code I’ve ever written was when I’ve been most compatible with my pair. It wasn’t that long ago, and I was relatively...more.

Call for Translators

Two years ago, when Agile Alliance started a translation project for their manifesto, I was fortunate enough to be one of the translators of the...more.

Design Craftsman Swap

My first ever craftsman swap was with Relevance a little over a month ago. I went to Durham for a week and Relevence's Kevin Altman...more.

In Search of Diversity

In the year 627 AD, a Buddhist monk was concerned with the translation quality of Chinese Buddhist scriptures; he decided to take a trip to...more.

Why Frameworks?

Frameworks are about efficiency and effectiveness. They save you time. By forcing common conventions, a framework helps solve common issues like view rendering, asset generation,...more.

Thinking Differently About the Single Responsibility Principle

When the Single Responsibility Principle is taught among developers, one aspect - the responsibility - is harped on the most. But what counts as a...more.

You're Going To Be Wrong

Being wrong sucks. Unfortunately, being wrong is a fact of life for developers. Personally I have chosen the wrong technology for the task at hand,...more.

Effective Leadership Through Communication

Being a professional developer means that you are responsible for delivering software on time that works. It's a satisfying job - you solve the problem...more.

Oh, it's not that hard

Scenario: We are sitting in a planning meeting and a business stakeholder asks one simple question. “How hard would that be?” What answer do we...more.

Deliberate Practice

“Education comes from within; you get it by struggle and effort and thought.” — Napoleon Hill We all know the feeling of flow while coding....more.

Questions and Developers

Have you ever had a question you wanted to ask, but didn't? Have you ever asked a question then immediately regretted asking it? Have you...more.

Apprenticeship Over College

I interviewed a bright young woman today who is graduating from high school this spring among the top of her class. Despite having several generous...more.

Craftsmanship Begins With You

What does it take to be a professional? This week, we held series of events to kick off the launch of the 8th Light Florida...more.

Learn a New Language

We're already a quarter into the year. Have you learned a new language yet? In Pragmatic Programmer, one of the 70 tips is to invest...more.

A few fallacies, for your consideration

Lately I've been fascinated with the idea of logical fallacies, and especially problems in arguments that may at first glance seem reasonable. Now, clearly not...more.

What Careless Code Says

There is a certain type of bug that, when it appears as a result of my code, causes me deep embarrassment. This type of bug...more.

Warming Up

Many of us admire other professionals, such as musicians and athletes. We even emulate them in our own profession by practicing. What about that time...more.

Craftsmen, Painters, and Monks

Once there was an emperor who wanted to make a temple in his capital holier and more elegant. His servants looked far and wide and...more.

14 Ways to Make Remote Audio Better

I can’t stand bad audio. It makes me want to chew off the end of my big toe. I started my career in audio processing....more.

8 Things You Ought to Know If You Do Not Know Anything About Hiring A Software Developer

“The one absolutely solid place to store your capital today — if you know how to do it – is in software developers’ wallets.” ...is...more.

Doing a Good Job

What is our job, and how can we do it better? For a while, I've wanted to write a blog about what it means to...more.

Software Craftsmanship Manifesto? Duh!

"The Manifest for Software Craftsmanship is obvious!" "How could you not agree with it?" "Duh!" These are common reactions to the Manifesto. As an example,...more.

SCNA: Why Salespeople should attend!

The 2011 SCNA (Software Craftsmanship North America) conference concluded just a few days ago, and there was a large audience turnout as well as an...more.

Name Configuration Management Analysis Blog

A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold. Proverbs 22:1 I recently helped pick out...more.

Simplicity of Teamwork

I remember in my times as a restaurant worker that the management would always give us these rhyming platitudes that were after-school-special cheesy. One of...more.

Confession of a Web Developer

I have a confession to make. For the first five years of my professional career, I was a .NET programmer. The first four of those...more.

Crafting Coffee

At 8th Light, we brew coffee like we brew code - with passion, enthusiasm and dedication. You could call it a daily ritual. Every morning,...more.

The Ways of Practice

At 8th Light, the value of practice is undisputed. Effort devoted to honing your craft pays dividends time and time again. In my last blog...more.

The Value of Practice

One of the habits that’s valued highly at 8th Light, and should be valued by professional developers everywhere, is the habit of practice. If you're...more.

Rolemodel Recap Day 3

My third and final day began with another breakfast graciously provided by Ken’s wife and a walk around Ken’s land. The house and studio sit...more.

Rolemodel Recap Day 2

My second day at role model found me pairing with Tim Irwin. Tim described this project as being “all about the data.” It was my...more.

Rolemodel Recap Day 1

I spent the last three days on a Journeyman trip to visit Ken Auer and his team at Rolemodel Software in Holly Springs, NC. I...more.

Speech is silver; silence is golden

Some time ago, I was stumped by a spec failure. Having decided that I’d spent enough time on it, I asked a colleague over and...more.

Presence, Part 1

Hi, my name is Doug and I don’t own an iPhone and I don’t plan on buying one anytime soon. Don’t get me wrong, I...more.

I have an apprentice

After 3 long years of searching, and several rejections (you know who you are), I finally have an apprentice. I’ve asked him to blog every...more.

Goals for the growing the market of quality development

Many small software contracting companies (boutiques) have been popping up in the last few years with our company, 8th Light, featuring among them. Their fundamental...more.

Qualifications of a Craftsman

The lovely wall you see before you is the wall of my son’s bedroom, freshly stripped of wallpaper. Note the beautiful drywall exposed in some...more.

Relevance Craftsman Swap Day 4

Today was my last day at Relevance, pairing again with Stuart Sierra. Along with Alan Dipert, we arrived at a solution for our data woes...more.

Relevance Craftsman Swap Day 3

Day 3 at Relevance began, as the previous days, with the company standup. Stuart Sierra, of clojure.test and Practical Clojure fame, was my pair for...more.

Relevance Craftsman Swap Day 2

Today was my second at Relevance for our craftsmanship swap. Chris and I continued work on the project we began to work on yesterday. I...more.

Relevance Craftsman Swap Day 1

I’m honored, humbled and excited to represent 8th Light, Inc. on its most recent Craftsmanship Swap, with Relevance in Durham, North Carolina. I’d first heard...more.

International Craftsman Swap Day 4

Oh how fast a week goes, especially when it's short. Did you know that Midsummer is arguably the biggest holiday in Sweden? And did you...more.

International Craftsman Swap Day 3

After attending tonights got:ruby I became obsessed with and started installing rvm. It worked swimmingly. I’m looking forward to getting my development machine off of...more.

International Craftsman Swap Day 2

Before I get into some of the details of day #2 at eLabs, let me dispell a few myths about Sweden that my American readers...more.

International Craftsman Swap Day 1

Today was day one of my Craftsmanswap with eLabs developer Anders Tornqvist, and so far they have treated me with the hospitality and graciousness I...more.

JRuby Helps Us Craft Quality Software

“It's kind of a Frankenstein.” We’ve used this phrase more than a few times to describe the architecture and technology used to design a product...more.

Makin’ Somthin’

Today (March 15th, 2010) is my Grandfather’s 90th birthday. We celebrated with him this weekend in Pike County, IL. I spent quite a bit a...more.

The Hammock

Our secret is out. A recently published photo revealed it hanging lazily in the corner of our office: a hammock. Why would an office of...more.

Stubbing :new Considered Harmful

Hi my name is Eric, and I have made a mess. There I said it. I’m not proud of it, but I believe a couple...more.

Zeroth rule of Professionalism

This blog post serves as a response to the article Software Testing Craft by Markus Gärtner, which can be found in the first issue of...more.

A Software Craftsman’s New Year’s Resolutions

There is so much to learn in this field, and the many new languages, frameworks, and APIs that are developed every day only add to...more.

Thoughts from a Boutique Software Shop

Michael Feathers recently wrote about boutique software shops. He drew a parallel between master chefs and software shops and made a few great points to...more.

Why Software Development is a Craft

Craftsmanship has been used as a metaphor for software development. Pete McBreen argues in his book “Software Craftsmanship” that craft is a better metaphor for...more.

Bug free or Free Bugs

I will not charge a client for a bug fix. Not a penny. If I make a mistake, it is my professional obligation to fix...more.

Obtiva Craftsman Swap Day 5

jim suchy
19 Apr 2009
Craftsmanship

Today turned out to be little coding and quite a bit of retrospective. I was able to pair with Nate Jackson for a little bit...more.

Obtiva Craftsman Swap Day 4

jim suchy
17 Apr 2009
Craftsmanship

Dave Hoover and I got back to the Mad Mimi feature implementation first thing in the morning. Dave had left a failing test the previous...more.

Obtiva Craftsman Swap Day 3

jim suchy
16 Apr 2009
Craftsmanship

I spent my day pairing with Dave Hoover on Mad Mimi. The first thing I noticed during our pairing session is that Dave is responsible...more.

Obtiva Craftsman Swap Day 2

Every week, Obtiva sets aside time for what they call Hackfest. Everyone is encouraged to take some time over lunch to work on some non-client...more.

Obtiva Craftsman Swap Day 1

jim suchy
14 Apr 2009
Craftsmanship

My initial impression of the Obtiva office is the relaxed atmosphere. It consists of a big, open work area with lots of pairing stations. At...more.

Ethical approach to Software Bugs

Software bugs are errors or omissions in the work we create. They are our mistakes as software developers. I would like to take a closer...more.

Material Consciousness in Software

Software is not made with designs and ideas, but with code. Code is the raw material. Code is the only means we have to create...more.

Software Journeyman program

8th Light and Obtiva have partnered up to provide a journeyman program. Traditionally, a journeyman program is when a master craftsman hires a journeyman for...more.

History of the Software Craftsmanship Manifesto

I would like to prelude this with an assurance that this is not the history of the software craftsmanship. Rather, this is just a brief...more.

One Take on Configuring Rails Routes and asset_host

jim suchy
02 Dec 2008
Craftsmanship

We recently had an interesting requirement surface. In anticipation of the release of a number of demo environments, our customer requested that system configuration be...more.