One import fact to acknowledge is that even if a software system consists of a lot of code - there is difference in the purpose of different types of code.

We at MDriven has made a point in identifying the 3 different areas of reasons of code. We call the 3 areas Fashion, Gist and Modernity.

Modernity

The code needed for the infrastructure of the system to work - databases - network-transport - programming language - physical tiering etc - all this we classify as Modernity-code. We gave it the name Modernity because this type of code is very time dependant. A system created ten years ago looks different in its modernity-code just because the progress of software infrastructure architecture has changed.

Fashion

All the code that has primary purpose to create a finish and the right look and feel goes into the Fashion classification. Fashion - like Modernity - does not age well. Both Fashion and Modernity is under heavy change pressure from the progress of technology.

Gist

The third kind of code is what describes "the Gist" of the system - namely what information is the system handling - and what business rules guard the dynamics of that information. This kind of code has a totally different life cycle compared to Modernity and Fashion. The Gist change is driven by the progress of internal business processes rather than external environment.