Bad software is a ticking time bomb. It might look functional on the surface, but underneath, it’s riddled with issues that can derail productivity, frustrate teams, and erode customer confidence. Let’s explore the telltale symptoms of bad software and what they reveal about the underlying code.
1. Rigidity: The Code That Won’t Budge
One of the first symptoms of bad software is rigidity, where making a single change in the code requires a cascade of modifications elsewhere.
Imagine this scenario: your boss asks you to fix a bug. You know exactly where the problem lies and how to fix it. But as soon as you make the change, you realize it impacts another module. You update that module, which leads to changes in yet another one. Before you know it, you’ve touched nearly every part of the system.
Weeks pass, and when your boss checks in, all you can say is, “It’s a lot more complicated than I thought.” The root cause? Dependencies that snake out in every direction, forcing you to modify large parts of the system to maintain consistency.
What rigidity looks like:
- Changes in one part of the code demand changes across multiple modules.
- Small fixes snowball into major overhauls.
- Deadlines slip as developers chase dependencies.
2. Fragility: The Domino Effect of Breakage
Fragility is the next symptom. This is when a small, seemingly harmless change causes unrelated parts of the system to break.
For example, you tweak the calculation for hourly employee salaries, only to discover that the report for union bosses now crashes. The connection between the two seems baffling—until you trace it back to some obscure flag or dependency.
Why fragility is dangerous:
- Bugs appear in unrelated areas of the code.
- Developers waste time chasing unpredictable breakages.
- Customers and managers lose trust in the software’s reliability.
Much like a car mechanic who fixes your window only for the car to stop starting, fragile code undermines confidence and signals deeper problems in the system.
3. Immobility: Code That’s Stuck in Place
Another symptom is immobility—code that’s so entangled with other components that it can’t be reused elsewhere.
Picture this: you’re tasked with creating a new module. Your boss suggests using code from another developer, Joe, who wrote something similar last year.
But when you inspect Joe’s code, you find it’s coupled to a bizarre framework or database. While the desirable parts of Joe’s code would be useful, they’re so intertwined with undesirable dependencies that you decide it’s easier to start from scratch.
Signs of immobility:
- Code cannot be repurposed without significant effort.
- Useful features are locked behind unnecessary complexity.
- Developers avoid reusing code because it introduces more problems than it solves.
The Root Cause: Coupling
At the heart of all these issues—rigidity, fragility, and immobility—is one common thread: coupling.
Coupling refers to how much one part of the code depends on another. When dependencies are poorly managed, the entire system becomes brittle, inflexible, and difficult to maintain.
Whether it’s modules relying on each other in undesirable ways or data structures being shared across unrelated functions, coupling creates a web of interconnected problems.
The consequences of high coupling:
- Code is difficult to modify or extend.
- Bugs are harder to isolate and fix.
- Teams waste time untangling dependencies instead of delivering value.
Breaking the Cycle
To improve software quality, developers must focus on reducing coupling and designing systems with clean, well-defined interfaces.
Here are a few strategies:
- Decouple Modules: Ensure that each module has a single responsibility and minimal dependencies.
- Use Clear Interfaces: Define how components interact, avoiding hidden dependencies.
- Refactor Regularly: Continuously clean up the code to reduce complexity and improve maintainability.
By addressing the root causes of bad software, teams can create systems that are easier to maintain, adapt, and trust. The goal is to write code that not only works today but remains robust and flexible for years to come.
Bad software isn’t just a technical problem—it’s a productivity killer and a trust destroyer. Recognizing these symptoms and addressing the underlying causes can help developers build systems that stand the test of time.
