Improving Software Architecture Efficiency: Stability, Performance, and Code Quality

In the software development field, architecture design is a critical factor for ensuring that systems run efficiently and stably. Whether the architecture is simple or complex, or evolves from complexity back to simplicity, improving architectural efficiency remains a core pursuit for technical teams in both startups and large enterprises.

Stability: The Foundation and Guardian of Architecture

As business functions, user numbers, and team sizes grow, a lack of rules and standards leads to uncontrolled system growth and fragmentation, jeopardizing stability. The article proposes orthogonal decomposition (or orthogonal design) as a method to break down complex business systems into independent yet related modules, enhancing cohesion, reducing coupling, and improving scalability, maintainability, and reusability.

Orthogonal decomposition eliminates duplication, separates concerns, and manages dependencies, allowing clear division between common and variable parts of the system.

Performance: The Dual Test of Speed and Efficiency

Many developers adopt “tactical design” to achieve quick results, focusing on making a feature work without considering long‑term system design. This tactical programming often introduces flags and scattered if statements, leading to increased code complexity, reduced readability, and hidden bugs.

The article illustrates a scenario where a new team member adds a temporary flag to avoid extensive redesign, which initially speeds up delivery but later creates maintenance overhead and performance degradation.

Code: The Dual Pursuit of Simplicity and Elegance

The article outlines a typical four‑layer backend architecture: API layer, Biz (business) layer, Domain layer, and DAO (data access) layer. Each layer has a clear responsibility, from exposing APIs to orchestrating business flows, encapsulating domain logic, and handling persistence.

Over time, imbalances arise: the Biz layer becomes bloated while the Domain layer thins out, and tangled call chains appear, leading to “fat” Biz layers, “skinny” Service/Domain layers, and mesh‑like dependencies that erode code elegance and hinder efficiency.

To achieve continuous architectural improvement, teams should combine high‑availability design, performance‑optimization strategies, modularization, decoupling, and strict code quality standards.

“In the development of complex things, many contradictions exist, among which there is a principal contradiction that governs the development of the others.”

The article concludes that beyond technical enhancements, fostering team collaboration, knowledge sharing, and a culture of continuous improvement is essential for maintaining competitiveness in a rapidly changing market.

References:

https://time.geekbang.org/column/article/167844 – How to Judge the Quality of Architecture Design

https://cactus-proj.github.io/A-Philosophy-of-Software-Design-zh/ – Philosophy of Software Design

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/jJzzJIGozOpt7KaXwBS3Ww – Business System Architecture Practice Summary

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