Note: This is one of the first articles that I ever wrote. Some of the other data in this book and in my book and my blog, Code Simplicity, are in fact based on some of the principles in this chapter. However, it has never been published anywhere before now. Enjoy.
A truly excellent program carries out the user's intention exactly as they intended it.
If you want to break it down a bit more, this means that an excellent program:
Does exactly what the user told it to do.
Behaves exactly like the user expects it to behave.
Does not block the user from communicating their intention.
To be truly excellent, software must do all of those things. Think of any piece of software that average users truly enjoy using, and you'll find it satisfies those three criteria.
There is an odd feeling of satisfaction that comes from the computer carrying out your intentions perfectly. And this is one of the joys of programming – when the computer does exactly what you intended, it's...