After hitting its 100,000th line of code, the Vale compiler survived thanks to techniques ranging from determinism, testing, type-system techniques, and general architectural best-practices. This article includes tips on how to avoid collapsing under your own weight and exploding, how to use assertions correctly, and how to lean on the type system. It also touches on language quirks, end-to-end testing, development velocity, and sanity checking. Overall, its a useful guide for anyone working on a large-scale project.
