[Catalyst] Why scaffolding? Validation and Learning

[peter at dragonstaff.com]

Hi Max,

> There's that, and there's also the ease of prototyping an application
> really, really fast when scaffolding is available. Without such
> scaffolding, you may end up taking a month to build a prototype. It
> certainly depends on the complexity of the project, however, speed may
> be more important in some cases. I am mostly referring to being able to
> say "I can show you something right now" to your manager/client/etc.
> Stuff like this really raises your level of credibility.

Yes, this is important. As you say, there's a commercial aspect to
pitching for work and showing prototypes. If you're using an Agile project
management methodology like DSDM, then doing several iterations of
modelling and delivery is essential in order to migrate closer to what a
customer needs rather than what they initially want. This only works for
small-medium projects, with larger ones in the long run you need a well
designed system or it will croak as the complexity increases and the code
base degenerates.

Regards, Peter