35.1. On Speculative Design and Visual Thinking
The designs illustrated in UML diagrams will be incomplete, and only serve as a “springboard” to the programming. Too much diagramming before programming leads to time wasted in speculative design directions, or time wasted fussing with UML tools. There's nothing like real code to tell you what works. Bertrand Meyer said it best: “Bubbles don't crash.”
Nevertheless, I vigorously encourage some forethought through diagramming before programming, and know it can add value, especially to explore the major design strategies. The interesting question is “How much diagramming before programming?” In part, the answer is a function of the experience and cognitive style of the designers.
Some people are ...
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