Foundations — Code Quality & Craft

Reframe code quality as the foundation of architecture. Good architecture cannot be built on bad code. This module establishes the habits, vocabulary, and standards that every subsequent module assumes. You already practice most of Module 0 instinctively. What this module adds is *vocabulary* and *frameworks* for decisions you already make intuitively. When you review a PR and think "this service object feels wrong," Ousterhout gives you the word: it is a *shallow module* — it adds an abstraction layer without reducing complexity. When you decide whether to refactor a model before adding a feature, Beck gives you the framework: *tidy first* is a separate, nameable decision with its own economics.