Nothing Left but the Typing – Implementing the Wheelchair Project

In the previous chapter, we learned about the advantages of creating a set of diagrams as a design plan for our next coding project. The whole point is to get the design in a format that can be discussed, argued, pondered, socialized, and changed. After the design is completed, the last step is to implement the diagrams as code. Our trio of software engineers has done just that with an ambitious new project designed to make a difference in the lives of potentially thousands of people who could benefit from access to a high-quality, low-cost wheelchair.

I’ve often compared UML with sheet music. A good UML design can be handed off to a developer the same way a musical composer can hand off a score to a competent orchestra. In music, the orchestra will often make changes and improvisational improvements to the sheet music. Sometimes they do this to make the music fit the skill of the performers. Other...