moby--moby/project/PRINCIPLES.md

Docker principles

In the design and development of Docker we try to follow these principles:

(Work in progress)

• Don't try to replace every tool. Instead, be an ingredient to improve them.
• Less code is better.
• Fewer components are better. Do you really need to add one more class?
• 50 lines of straightforward, readable code is better than 10 lines of magic that nobody can understand.
• Don't do later what you can do now. "//FIXME: refactor" is not acceptable in new code.
• When hesitating between 2 options, choose the one that is easier to reverse.
• No is temporary, Yes is forever. If you're not sure about a new feature, say no. You can change your mind later.
• Containers must be portable to the greatest possible number of machines. Be suspicious of any change which makes machines less interchangeable.
• The less moving parts in a container, the better.
• Don't merge it unless you document it.
• Don't document it unless you can keep it up-to-date.
• Don't merge it unless you test it!
• Everyone's problem is slightly different. Focus on the part that is the same for everyone, and solve that.