Axis Software User Manual

Linux Programming Guidelines

Experienced Linux developers tend to follow several programming style guidelines:

Provide mechanism not policy. Linux programs attempt to provide the means to solve a problem rather than specifing how the problem should be solved. Many Linux programs can be thought of as tools that can be used to create a solution, rather than the solution itself.
Do one thing and do it well. Generally big programs that attempt to do everything are brittle and complex to use. They tend to accumulate huge numbers of redundant menus and options, which confuse the user and slow the system.
There is more than one way of doing something. Often Linux provides a choice of mechanisms to solve a specific problem. The programmer/user is allowed the choice of picking the one that suits them best.
Use Text. Most programs need configuration files and or data files. If these files contain information that can be represented as text then the programmer should attempt to use a text based format. In practice, the extra complexity introduced by using text is outweighed by the ease of use. Text files are easy to check either manually or automatically and text based formats are also instantly portable between different platforms.