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Unixification

Unixification of the Phygital World

  • Principle: "Think unixification - small, purposeful, essentially immutable and then compose more complex solutions from there"
  • The Problem: Attempting to test complex systems all at once leads to unpredictable failures and unclear root causes.
  • The Solution: Break systems into smallest provable units, validate incrementally, compose proven foundations.

Application​

  1. Do one thing well: Each unit tests ONE atomic capability
  2. Composable: Units build on each other (dependency chain)
  3. Immutable: Pure functions with deterministic outputs
  4. Small: ~50 lines per unit test
  5. Provable value: Each unit provides concrete proof

When to Use:

  • Complex generators with multiple responsibilities
  • Systems with dynamic runtime behavior
  • Anything that adapts to unseen inputs
  • Code where "just run the full test" has failed

Red Flags (signals you need unixification):

  • "Let me test the whole thing at once"
  • "I'll run the full test suite"
  • "This should just work"
  • Jumping to integration before proving atoms
  • Unpredictable failures in complex systems

Green Flags (proper unixification thinking):

  • "What's the smallest thing I can prove?"
  • "Can I run this in isolation?"
  • "Does this compose with what I just proved?"
  • "Will this work for input I haven't seen yet?"

Decision Framework​

Complexity Threshold:

Lines of Code × Branching Factor × Dependencies = Complexity Score

IF Complexity Score > 50
  THEN Apply unixification
  THEN Break into Unit 1→2→3→4→Master

ELSE
  THEN Simple test acceptable

Examples:

  • Generator with dynamic FK analysis: 400 lines, 3 branches, 5 dependencies = 6000 → UNIXIFY
  • Simple utility function: 20 lines, 1 branch, 0 dependencies = 20 → Simple test OK

Time Investment Guideline:

  • Setup cost: ~30 minutes to create 4 unit tests + master
  • Payoff threshold: System complexity where debugging time > 30 minutes
  • ROI calculation: Debug time saved / Setup time = ROI multiplier

When NOT to Unixify:

  • Pure utility functions with single responsibility
  • Code with zero branching logic
  • Systems with no external dependencies
  • Already proven atoms being reused