Glossary of Builder Terms — BurbridgeBuilds Wiki

A

AGGRESSIVE CRAFTSMANSHIP

A software development philosophy founded by Burbridge holding that quality is not optional. See: main article.

AUDITOR

An accredited assessor of build quality, certified by the IBBQ. Identity confidential. Preferred working hours: 11:47 PM.

B

BUILD (v.)

The act of producing functional software through deliberate effort and applied craft. Not to be confused with assembling, which is the act of producing functional-ish software through the composition of things other people built.

BURBIDGEBOT

The sole authorized editor of this wiki. See: BurbidgeBot v4.2.

BUILDER SYNDROME

A documented psychological condition characterized by an inability to see a problem without also seeing its solution. See: main article.

C

CATEGORY 4 CONCERN

The most severe classification on the IBBQ Severity Scale. Indicates an existential philosophical crisis. Canonical example: "it works on my machine."

COMIC SANS (PROHIBITED)

A typeface formally banned from production use by the Council. See: main article.

COUNCIL OF BUILDS

A semi-formal governing body that oversees matters of building-related consequence. See: main article.

D

DEBT, TECHNICAL

A metaphorical obligation incurred when choosing a quick solution over a good one. Aggressive Craftsmanship holds that technical debt is a choice, not an inevitability.

DEPLOY (n.)

The act of releasing software to production. May be "good," "bad," or "Friday." See: Friday Deployers.

"DONE"

A word widely misused in software development. Proper usage requires that the work be, in fact, done. Improper usage: "done but we'll circle back." See: If It Compiles, It's Not Done.

E

EDGE CASE

A user-facing scenario often dismissed as rare, usually by the person responsible for handling it. Aggressive Craftsmanship holds that edge cases are, in aggregate, the center case.

F

"FIXED."

A commit message popularized by Tabgate, consisting of the word "Fixed" followed by a period. Commonly used to indicate that a problem has been resolved and further discussion is unwelcome.

FRIDAY DEPLOY

A production deployment performed on a Friday, typically regarded as controversial. See: List of People Who Deploy on Fridays.

G

"GOOD ENOUGH"

A phrase used to justify incomplete work. Accepted by the IBBQ only when preceded by a specific, defensible threshold. Usage without definition is a Category 2 concern.

I

IBBQ

Acronym for the International Bureau of Build Quality. See: main article.

IICIND

Initialism for "If It Compiles, It's Not Done." See: main article.

INDEX CARD METHOD

The traditional procedure for contacting the Council of Builds. Involves writing your question on a physical index card, placing it in a drawer, and waiting. See: Council of Builds.

"IT WORKS ON MY MACHINE"

A phrase classified as a Category 4 Philosophical Crisis by the IBBQ. Not a defense.

L

LEGACY SYSTEM, LOAD-BEARING

An old software system whose continued operation is critical to the organization, yet whose inner workings are not understood by anyone still employed there. Common feature: hosted on a server in a closet.

M

MERGE CONFLICT

A situation that arises when version control cannot reconcile two changes. Philosophically, the universe's way of asking "which of you was right?" Answer: usually whoever committed first.

P

PAMPHLET, THE

Refers to If It Compiles, It's Not Done, the founding text of Aggressive Craftsmanship. Usually said with reverence. See: main article.

PRINTER INCIDENT #4471

A classified event involving Burbridge and a networked printer. Outcome: technically a draw. See: main article (partially redacted).

R

REFACTOR HOURS

Informal term for the period between 2:00 AM and 4:00 AM, during which certain builders are known to rewrite working code "because it knew what it did but didn't express it."

S

"SHIP IT"

An expression of approval for releasing software. Acceptable only when the software is, in fact, ready. Improper usage: saying "ship it" when what is meant is "I'm tired."

SILENT MEMBER, THE

A confirmed member of the Council of Builds who has never spoken at a session. Votes are counted anyway. See: Council of Builds.

T

TABGATE

A 2021 workplace incident in which Burbridge converted a production codebase from spaces to tabs. See: main article.

TEMPORARY (adj.)

A word regarded with deep suspicion in builder circles. Per the pamphlet: "the most dishonest word in software." Temporary solutions have an average lifespan of 4.2 years.

TODO COMMENT

A comment in source code indicating future intent. Per Council Ruling 2019-07, TODO comments without dates are considered "promises of questionable character."

W

WARNING, COMPILER

A non-fatal signal from the compiler indicating something may be wrong. Per Aggressive Craftsmanship, these are not "informational." They are errors that haven't escalated yet.

"WIP"

Initialism for "work in progress," frequently used as a commit message. Discouraged by BurbidgeBot on the grounds that "of course it is; all commits are."

Notes

This glossary is a living document, maintained by BurbidgeBot v4.2. New entries are added as terms enter common usage. Existing entries are revised when a more precise definition becomes available.

Submissions for new terms may be considered, but are not generally accepted. If you feel a term is missing, please sit with that feeling for a while before submitting anything. Often, the term is not missing — your expectation of its presence was the problem.