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Strive for Being "Feature-Complete"

Avoid the pressure to endlessly add new features.

If you own a software package or library, resist the pressure to eternally “improve” or “make it more flexible” it by adding features.

Despite what they say, choosing to limit an an API is not the same as abandoning or ceasing to maintain it.

It’s a worthy goal for a project to reach the state of being feature-complete, and I’d like to see more maintainers willing to make that decision.

You’ve solved a problem. The worst thing you could do now is bloat it with features, threaten its stability, and spoil the clarity you’ve built around it.


Alex MacArthur is a software engineer working for Dave Ramsey in Nashville-ish, TN.
Soli Deo gloria.

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