Evaluating a new tool or library
The only constant is change, and there is no doubt as I type this, a new tool that "fixes" all the things that are broken with framework X but is simpler to use is being developed. This section will help you navigate the new world where a constant stream of new software is available for free. You will learn what attributes and factors to look at to decide whether something is worth using or not.
There are a few heuristics that you could use when evaluating a new tool. Feel free to adjust which ones you use based on your specific needs:
- The number of stars the tool has on GitHub
- The tool's age
- How long it's been since the tool has been updated
- The number of maintainers
- The number of open issues/PRs
- The number of dependencies
I want to add a big asterisk to all of these. The answer to how important each of these are is the same as the answer to which architecture style is right for your code base...
