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glossary:principle

Principle

Meaning 1

Alternative Terms

  • Rule
  • Rule of Thumb
  • Law
  • Design Heuristic

Definition

A principle is a rule which tells whether one solution is better than another one with respect to a certain aspect.

Description

A principle names and explains a certain aspect to consider while assessing a possible solution to a problem. It can be documented using principle descriptions and help talking about solutions.

Principles are a general and universal way to communicate experience. They describe a certain aspect leaving out all the other aspects. So a principle is not a rule that is valid in every case. It's a certain tendency, a rule of thumb or a heuristic that only in combination with other principles gives a complete picture.

Examples

Alternative Definitions

See Also

Further Reading


Other Meanings

  • The term “principle” is often also used to refer to any other rule, heuristic, or philosophy regardless of whether it tells good and bad solutions apart.

Discussion

Discuss this wiki article and the term on the corresponding talk page.

glossary/principle.txt · Last modified: 2021-10-20 20:26 by christian