On factories, factories, factories...

Why I Hate Frameworks: https://discuss.joelonsoftware.com/default.asp?joel.3.219431.12

Internally, I feel that these are the kind of discussions that we have every day. If, for example, we talk about adding a tool window, we usually also start talking about an extensible method for extending the designer to allow users to add their specific tool window should they not like ours. Then it somehow turns into a discussion about coming up with a way to easily snap in any window, not necessarily just a tool window, and provide a way to customize the window to be a tool window. And on and on...

In a nutshell, when we talk about designing a feature we start talking about extensibility so that anyone can also add a similar or related feature. With that discussion, we often have to talk about the level of extensibility that we want to support. It's no longer as simple as just adding the feature. So the discussion similar to the factory factory factory mentioned in the blog is something that takes place very commonly.

My personal feelings is that there may be a need for a factory, factory, factory given the context. There is, after all, a great need for DSL tools.

Users, however, should not have to deal at that level if they don't have to. If they want a hammer, give them the hammer! Most people don't care about the factory it was built in...

Ali