Applying metaphors from other fields into software development
The article explores the use of metaphors from various fields in software development. It highlights how metaphors like the Flywheel Effect, Entropy, and the Compound Effect can provide new perspectives on programming practices. By applying these metaphors, developers may better understand concepts such as technical debt and the importance of good coding practices.
- ▪Metaphors like 'code smell' help convey complex ideas in programming.
- ▪The Flywheel Effect illustrates how small decisions can lead to significant outcomes in software development.
- ▪Entropy in software development suggests that complexity increases over time, necessitating ongoing maintenance efforts.
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Posted on May 23, 2026 Tags: programming We use all kinds of metaphors in programming. Using “code smell” to describe poor coding practices is probably one of the most evocative. But what about metaphors in other fields? Could they be used to describe programming as well? There are a lot of things like “parent” and “child”, or “building” or “factory”, which clearly originate elsewhere. But these are quite widely used already in programming to the point that we don’t necessarily even think of them as metaphors anymore… So what I’m interested in is stuff that’s less common, or perhaps entirely unused in software development circles.
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