The Cost of Complexity

This article is going to have more questions in it than answers. It's about a problem in software development that I'm not sure I've worried about enough. I've certainly thought about it for specific cases, but this is the first time I've tried to think about the problem in general.

My main question revolves around the cost of complexity in software. There is certainly a large cost in making software more complex. Maintenance becomes more difficult. Teaching new employees about the project becomes harder. In the end, you will get fewer engineers who understand a complex project than a simple one.

Unfortunately, almost any non-refactoring work will add to the complexity of a project. However, some changes can have a large effect on the complexity in a short period of time. Adding a new library or technique to the code base, for example, will make it so that the new technology will have to be understood by people working on the project.

What I really want to know is how much can this cost of complexity be mitigated? Besides switching libraries to add, what can be done to decrease the cost? My question is based on the assumption that some complexity is essential. So, given that you're going to add a new library to the code base, for example, what can be done to reduce the cost?

Make it fun?

Some types of complexity are actually fun for programmers to deal with. After all, if you don't like learning new things, you wouldn't last long as one. For example, a new library may be complicated, but it may also do some really nice things. If it's a fun library to use, then is its cost of introduction reduced?

Unfortunately, fun is difficult to predict. Certainly a hot technology is going to generate more interest with engineers. For example, I'd much rather develop a new mobile application using Android than WAP. WAP is probably a lot simpler, but Android is breaking news. WAP is dying. Would I choose Android over WAP just for this? Probably not, but I suspect that Android's problems are reduced a bit because of its novelty.

I looked reasonably hard for some discussion of this. I couldn't find anyone who wanted to admit that this could be a significant factor. Am I all alone here? Somehow, I doubt it. I prefer to believe that everyone ignores this.

Of course, without some measurements, it's just speculation. Hmmm... Maybe you could make some sort of measurement based on fake job ads and resume counts?

Ease of use

No one seems to think of libraries as something with usability considerations. However, an API is really just another interface that happens to be used only by programmers. If a library is easy to use, its cost will be reduced. What can be done to make a new technology easier to use?

Microsoft is pretty good at this, actually. Lots of people are going to complain at that statement because they've got a long ways to go. However, they put a lot effort into making high quality tools and documentation. Heck, they even created a publishing company to create how-to books for their libraries. They put a lot of energy and time into getting things working that aren't related to the API itself. (It's too bad their APIs frequently make me want to kick kittens.)

Libraries that do this well will make themselves cheaper to use. Once a library is chosen, though, what can be done about making it easier?

When I first came to work for PC-Doctor, I was told to create a new web application using Ruby on Rails. None of us knew how to use either Ruby or Rails. It turns out that the online documentation for Rails was pretty close to miserable. (I sure hope they've fixed that!) We bought many copies of some O'Reilly books on the subject, and this helped a lot.

Spend a bit of money to educate engineers. Different people learn in different ways, though. I love to read. Andy, our current Rails expert, is a big fan of some Rails videos that he found. Find the right support for each developer. Buy whatever training is required. The cost of a book is pretty low when compared to a developer who is forced to stumble around the internet looking for answers.

Genuine need

If everyone understands that a library really is needed, then people will be a lot more interested in learning it. This may be related to the fun factor mentioned above.

Complexity that seems like a bad idea afterwards is frustrating. Poorly written code is a great example of unneeded complexity. I've seen first hand what large amounts of horrible, old code can do to someone's moral. Andy, I'm thinking of you...

What did I miss?

Let me know. As I mentioned, I'm way behind in thinking seriously about this subject.

This originally appeared on PC-Doctor's blog.