Foreword

All programmers can appreciate the value of a good name. A name is a promise: it tells you what you can and can’t expect. It helps you make a decision and move on.

But a Good Name, with capital letters, is more than just a contract. A Good Name shares something about the soul of what’s described. It gives you a glimpse of the creator’s intention, its raison d’être. The name Walkie-Talkie tells you both the what and the why of the thing. The name doesn’t need to be accurate: fire ants aren’t made of fire but they might as well be. A Good Name reveals.

I’m happy to say that the book you are now holding has an exceptionally Good Name.

You may be familiar with the style guides often used by journalists, such as the AP Stylebook or The Chicago Manual of Style. Like those books, this one offers both guidelines and guidance on achieving a clear, consistent tone across a larger team.

In following this model, Matthias Noback’s goal is humble and direct. There are no new concepts, no fancy tools, no radical breakthroughs. Matthias has simply documented what he was already doing. He has captured his approach to designing systems and distilled it into the elements of his style.