In today’s chapter of my Domain-Driven Design journey, I want to dive into how we structure our code. This topic holds a special place for me. You see, when code grows, it can easily become a jumbled mess, making it hard to read, tricky to manage, and tough for anyone to get their head around. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that if our code doesn’t mirror the real world, it’s missing the mark. After all, a big part of DDD is about creating models that everyone can understand, from developers to stakeholders. Over the past 15 years, I have been able to apply DDD to a variety of projects and try different approaches. Some were, well, not the best, while others hit the nail on the head. If you’ve been following my writings, you’ll know I’m big on clean code. For me, messy code filled with confusing abbreviations and insider jargon is a total nightmare. It’s something that drives me crazy. To kick things off, let’s delve into a recurring question: Why do developers frequently lean towards structuring their code around technical aspects rather than focusing on the domain? I believe this inclination primarily stems from the lens of an engineer. It’s the way they’ve been trained to view systems. Yet, at its core, Domain-Driven Design seeks to rectify this mismatch. DDD encourages everyone involved — not just developers but all stakeholders — to adopt a shared language and vision for the system. This shared understanding should ideally be mirrored in the way we structure our code, aligning it closely with the domain model. Adding fuel to the fire, numerous tutorials and even some prominent frameworks advocate this technical perspective. A notable example is Microsoft’s ASP.NET MVC framework.
