Code Quote by Brad Fitzpatrick
“My basic rule is, if it could possibly come from the end user, it's not a run-time crash. But if it is my code to my code, I crash it as hard as possible—fail as early as possible.”
About This Quote
Source Talk: Programming Podcast, 2015
Design code to fail fast when internal assumptions break, but avoid crashes caused by user input.
In simple terms: Fail early on internal bugs, protect users from crashes.
Key Takeaway
Validate inputs, add assertions.
Themes
reliability
defensive programming
software quality
Mood
cautious
pragmatic
Type
technical
advice
When to use this quote
- API design
- unit testing
- code reviews
Key Concepts
fail-fast
assertions
error handling
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you differentiate internal vs external failures?
- What safeguards prevent user crashes?
A Different Perspective
User input errors still need graceful handling.
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