Maxims, Principles, and Properties: Knowing the Difference in this Software Enchiridion
Part of a "Software Engineering Enchiridion"
(Image: Following the principle of feeding my energy by feeding my soul, I am a dot in the distance having an early morning swim in the sea off of Eastbourne, while my dog looks incredulously on)
In software, words get slippery. We call everything a “rule,” a “law,” or a “best practice.” Soon no one knows what’s carved in stone and what’s just a bumper sticker.
This Enchiridion for Software Engineering needed clarity. Clarity that comes from simple maxims, principles where fundamental, and properties where they can be observed.
In this short intro I explain what these things are and mean to the Software Enchiridion I am compiling here.
Maxims
A maxim is a general truth. A short, sharp saying you can actually remember. “Kindness costs nothing.” “Ship small, ship often.” They’re like proverbs for engineers. Easy to carry. Hard to forget. Guidance, not gospel.
In the Enchiridion, the maxim is the atomic unit. Each one unfolds: aphorism → rationale → practices → pitfalls → checklists → examples → further reading. It’s advice you can act on today, and it doesn’t pretend to be an eternal law.
Principles
A principle is a heavyweight maxim. It’s a foundation stone, not just a useful phrase. Principles are fundamental truths you can build a whole belief system on. “Platform as a Product.” “Lead with Kindness and Empathy." These aren’t just nice sayings—they underpin how I see the craft.
All principles are maxims, but not all maxims make the cut as principles. Think of principles as the bedrock, the skeleton. The maxims as flesh and muscle.
Properties
A property is different. It’s not advice. It’s not even truth in the moral sense. A property is a quality of a thing. “This system is resilient to that scenario.” “That platform is easy to use for that type of user.” Properties describe reality. They are the characteristics you notice, measure, and shape.
In the Enchiridion, properties are what you test for. They are the results of following maxims and principles. Build with kindness and reliability, and your platform has the property of trust. Build with clarity, and your code has the property of readability.
Why This Matters
If you confuse these, you end up with chaos. Treat every maxim like a principle, and you’ll turn flexible wisdom into rigid dogma. Treat principles like mere suggestions, and you’ll drift into relativism and nonsense. Treat properties like principles and you’ll moralise where you should measure.
Maxims are guidance. Principles are foundations. Properties are qualities. Keep them straight, and this Software Enchiridion becomes a compass, not a hall of mirrors.
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