Of Components, God Class, and Modular Design

In a recent review of some systems’ design and architecture, I noticed patterns reminiscent of the ‘God Class’ from object-oriented programming (OOP). A single class, or in this case, a component, was taking on an excessive number of tasks in this anti-pattern.

Assigning an overload of responsibilities to a single backend component goes against modular design principles. Such an approach not only creates bottlenecks but also results in a brittle system that is harder to maintain and difficult to understand.

Our designs today should lay the groundwork: ‘backward compatible, forward extensible,’ ensuring what we build now serves as a lasting foundation, not something to be undone in the future.

So, what is the solution? Enter components.

“Divide and conquer.” That is what a component does in software design. It is a building block, something you can add or remove as needed. Instead of having one large, complicated system, we divide it into smaller, more manageable blocks or components. Each component focuses on its specific function, making it easier to develop, test, and maintain independently.

And the best part? This modular approach enables us to easily reuse components in different parts of an application or across multiple applications, allowing for greater reusability and scalability.

Here are some crucial points to remember about software components:

• Encapsulation: Components should follow this OOP principle. They should hide most of their inner mechanics and communicate through interfaces like APIs or specific databases. This approach allows developers to tweak a component’s core without disrupting its connections.
• Reusability: Developers should create components that can be reused. A component can be integrated into various parts or even different applications, reducing the need to build the same thing repeatedly.
• Interoperability: Developers should design components to adhere to specific standards or frameworks. By doing so, they ensure that these components can seamlessly interact with one another and other systems in a plug-and-play manner.
• Independence: Each component should stand on its own. A change in one component must not affect the others. This design enables parallel development, allowing multiple developers to work on different components simultaneously.

Software design can be complex, but certain principles remain timeless. Encapsulation, reusability, and interoperability aren’t just fancy words—they underpin good software design.

We all want to be software craftsmen, with every line of code and design decision demonstrating skill and precision. Embracing modular design and understanding the principles of component-based architecture are more than just best practices; they are critical tools in our toolbox. We should aim for designs that are both flexible and enduring, just like what true artisans create.