A curated collection of essential software engineering concepts and learning resources.
SOLID Principles
ELI5: The SOLID principles are five simple rules to write clean, easy-to-change software: Single Responsibility (one job per class), Open/Closed (extend without changing), Liskov Substitution (replace without breaking), Interface Segregation (small, specific interfaces), Dependency Inversion (depend on abstractions, not details).
KISS Principle
ELI5: The KISS Principle stands for "Keep It Simple, Stupid." It means when designing something—like a product, system, or explanation—you should make it as simple and clear as possible. Complexity often causes mistakes, confusion, or failure, so simplicity usually works best.
DRY Principle
ELI5: The DRY Principle stands for "Don't Repeat Yourself." It means that in coding (or any work), you should avoid duplicating the same logic or information in multiple places. Instead, write it once and reuse it, making your code easier to maintain and less error-prone.
YAGNI Principle
ELI5: The YAGNI principle, short for “You Aren’t Gonna Need It,” means you should only build features you truly need right now, not things you might need in the future. It helps keep code simple, avoids wasted effort, and prevents overcomplicating projects.
GRASP Patterns
ELI5: GRASP (General Responsibility Assignment Software Patterns) are simple guidelines for deciding which class or object should do what in a program. They help organize responsibilities, promote reuse, and keep code flexible by assigning tasks based on patterns like Creator, Controller, or Information Expert.
Law of Demeter
ELI5: The Law of Demeter, or “principle of least knowledge,” advises that an object should only interact with its immediate collaborators. This reduces dependencies, makes code easier to maintain, and prevents tightly coupled, fragile systems.
Waterfall Model
ELI5: The Waterfall Model is a step-by-step approach to software development where each phase—like planning, designing, building, testing, and delivering—must be finished before moving to the next. It’s clear and structured but hard to change once a step is complete.
V-Model
ELI5: The V-Model is a software development approach that emphasizes verification and validation at each stage. Development steps on the left side (like design and coding) are matched with corresponding testing steps on the right, ensuring every requirement is tested and confirmed before release.
Spiral Model
ELI5: The Spiral Model is a software development approach that combines iterative design and risk management. Projects progress through repeated cycles—or “spirals”—of planning, designing, building, and evaluating, allowing teams to refine requirements and reduce risks before committing to larger development stages.
Layered Architecture
ELI5: Layered architecture is a software design pattern that organizes code into separate layers, each with a specific role—like presentation, business logic, and data access—so changes in one layer don’t break others, improving maintainability, scalability, and clarity.
Microservices
ELI5: Microservices architecture is a way of building software where an application is divided into small, independent services. Each service focuses on a specific function, communicates with others through APIs, and can be developed, deployed, and scaled separately for greater flexibility and reliability.