)RXU62$/HVVRQVIURP4XDNH

By BuIujI NurusImIun
<sIerIockbuIujIyuIoo.com>
AugusL zoo6

dIdn'L wunL Lo wrILe LIIs pIece, buL wus recenLIy cuugIL pIuyIng LIe orIgInuI
versIon oI Quuke In LIe oIIIce by my boss, wIo wunLed Lo know wIuL wus
doIng. "SOA!" cIuImed, buL my uvermenL mIgIL noL be Iur Irom LIe LruLI,
becuuse one deIInILIon oI SOA Is "An urcIILecLure buIIL uround u coIIecLIon oI
reusubIe componenLs wILI weII-deIIned InLerIuces."

TIe ubove deIInILIon IILs Quuke compIeLeIy. TIe urcIILecLure oI LIe gume Is
sucI LIuL IL uIIows unyLIIng-modeIs Ior LIe weupons und monsLers, gume
IeveIs, und LIe progrummIng ILseII-Lo be cIunged. TIe gume ucLuuIIy comes
wILI ILs own progrummIng Iunguuge cuIIed QuukeC, wIIcI uIIows Ior mussIve
modIIIcuLIons. No wonder LIere ure so muny modIIIcuLIons, mups, purLIuI und
LoLuI conversIons uvuIIubIe Ior LIe gume.

Muny peopIe usuuIIy LIInk ubouL SOA us reusubIIILy, buL reusubIIILy IILs oIder
uvuLurs oI SOA IIke DCOM und CORBA. WILI SOA, cIunge und noL mere
reusubIIILy Is LIe key. TIIs Is more upL becuuse SOA Is one oI LIe Lop busIness
LooIs Loduy, und COs ure cIunge ugenLs more LIun unyLIIng eIse.

Some oI LIe Iessons we cun Ieurn Irom Quuke In LIe SOA conLexL ure:

%XLOGWKHEHVWDQGH[SHFWWKHEHVWWRFKDQJHZKDW\RXKDYH
EXLOW Quuke sLurLed wILI LIe ussumpLIon LIuL peopIe ouLsIde oI LIe
orIgInuI deveIopers wouId wunL Lo cIunge LIe ruIes Lo suIL LIeIr own
requIremenLs. TIIs Is wIy you cun cIunge unyLIIng you wunL. AII SOA
ImpIemenLuLIons sIouId be sImIIurIy creuLed, wILI LIe ussumpLIon oI
cIunge buIIL InLo LIe urcIILecLure, und noL us un udded uILerLIougIL.

0DNHFKDQJHFRPIRUWDEOH PeopIe someLImes wunL Lo muke smuII
cIunges, see LIe RO, und LIen move on Lo bIgger modIIIcuLIons. TIe
IucL LIuL Quuke uIIows you Lo cIunge unyLIIng meuns LIuL you cun
cIunge wIuL you IeeI comIorLubIe cIungIng. Know progrummIng? TIen
you cun code un uIgorILIm Lo cIunge Iow LIe monsLer SIumbIer IIres uL
you. Are you beLLer wILI grupIIcs? TIen you muy wunL Lo creuLe u new
skIn Ior LIe HeII KnIgIL.

/HWWKHPGHFLGH Muny peopIe resIsL cIunge becuuse LIey ure
uncomIorLubIe wILI IL wIen IL Is Imposed upon LIem, buL II you IeL
LIem sIow wIuL cIunge LIey cun LIemseIves creuLe, LIen you muy geL
supporL Irom LIem. or InsLunce, mude u smuII mup cuIIed 4XDNHORFN
6KHUORFN, wIIcI requIres un undersLundIng oI LIe even-Loduy-
uncrucked puzzIe creuLed by TIomus JeIIerson BeuIe In 18zo. n LIIs
IeveI, bruIn und noL bruwn counLs, und 'm Iuppy LIuL couId creuLe IL
In u LrIgger-Iuppy gume IIke Quuke.

0DNHLWXVDEOHQRWMXVWUHXVDEOH TIIs Is someLIIng LIuL LIe
pundILs oI reusubIIILy Lend Lo someLImes IorgeL. I IL Is noL usubIe LIe
IIrsL LIme uround, muybe nobody wouId IIke Lo boLIer wILI IL. PeopIe
IIke someLIIng LIuL cun be used Loduy, und LIen reused wIen
requIremenLs cIunge-LIIs Is becuuse reusubIIILy Is ILseII buIIL InLo
cIunge. Quuke guve us cooI IeveIs, wIIcI we IIked so mucI, und so we
uII wuILed Ior LIe cIunges LIuL creuLIve modders mude. I IL Iud been
Iousy wIen reIeused, nobody wouId Iuve mude uny mods Ior Quuke uL
uII.

L muy sound sIIIy Lo Ieurn SOA Iessons Irom Quuke, buL IeL us noL IorgeL LIuL,
Ior muny peopIe, LIe IIrsL uppIIcuLIon LIey ever suw on u PC wus u gume.
Gumes noL onIy enubIe us Lo Iose our Ieur oI compuLers wIen we ure newbIes,
LIey even IeIp us Lo see LIIngs Irom u dIIIerenL perspecLIve.