Donnchadh Murphy

As software engineers, we often get caught up in the day-to-day grind of coding, debugging, and deploying. While these activities are essential, they can sometimes overshadow the more abstract aspects of our craft: the design principles that underpin our code and guide our decision-making. John Ousterhout’s A Philosophy of

In the world of software development, reliability is a critical aspect of designing and building any application. One way to achieve this is by implementing various design patterns that improve the flow of information, reduce the chances of errors, and increase fault tolerance. In this blog post, we'll

In the world of software development, effectively addressing complex business scenarios is crucial for success. Domain-Driven Design (DDD) is an approach that can help developers better understand and model these complexities, ultimately leading to more robust and maintainable software. In this extensive blog post, we'll delve into the

Technical debt is a common challenge faced by software engineering teams, often manifesting as shortcuts, hacks, or suboptimal solutions implemented to expedite development. While some level of technical debt is inevitable, it can accumulate over time, leading to decreased productivity, increased maintenance costs, and an overall decline in software quality.

In recent years, serverless architecture has emerged as a game-changer in the world of cloud computing and software development. By abstracting away infrastructure management, serverless allows developers to focus on writing code and delivering features, ultimately accelerating development velocity and efficiency. In this blog post, we'll dive deep

In the fast-paced world of software engineering, effective communication and feedback are vital for success. Radical candor, a concept introduced by Kim Scott, encourages open and honest feedback in the workplace while maintaining a foundation of care and respect. In this blog post, we'll explore the benefits of

Design patterns have become an essential tool in the realm of software engineering, providing time-tested solutions to common design problems. By leveraging these proven techniques, developers can create more maintainable, flexible, and scalable software systems. In this blog post, we'll discuss the effectiveness of design patterns in software

Code reviews are an integral part of the software development process, and when done correctly, they can help maintain the quality and consistency of your codebase, prevent bugs, and facilitate collaboration among team members. In this blog post, we'll explore how to conduct successful code reviews by outlining

The COVID-19 pandemic was an event that upended lives globally, throwing routines, ambitions, and plans into uncertainty. For me, it marked an unexpected turning point. While the world slowed down, I chose to speed up. Rather than letting the pause dictate my pace, I saw an opportunity to deepen my

Testing is an essential part of software development, ensuring code behaves as expected and remains robust in the face of change. But how do you know if your tests are truly effective? Enter mutation testing, a technique that goes beyond traditional code coverage metrics to evaluate the quality of your

In software engineering, there's often a chasm between the clean ideals of design theory and the messy realities of practice. Theoretical principles provide a structured framework for creating robust, scalable systems, but real-world constraints—like deadlines, legacy systems, and team dynamics—often force us to deviate. Understanding this

When we develop, we all aim to write clean, efficient, and maintainable code. One metric that helps measure the complexity of our code is Cyclomatic Complexity. While it sounds intimidating, understanding and managing it can significantly improve your code quality. What Is Cyclomatic Complexity? Cyclomatic Complexity is a software metric

As developers, we all strive to write clean, maintainable code. But every now and then, a sneaky little code smell creeps in, making our lives harder. One such smell is Primitive Obsession. It might sound like a bad habit, and in a way, it is—but don't worry.

The Law of Demeter (LoD), also known as the "Principle of Least Knowledge," is a software design guideline for improving the modularity and maintainability of your code. At its core, the rule advises: "An object should only interact with its direct collaborators." In simpler terms, an