How to use hacker-laws-zh: read and navigate the Chinese developer laws guide

What is hacker-laws-zh and who is it for?

The repository collects laws, theories, principles and patterns that developers find useful, and explains each one with a short description, examples and links. The README describes the entries as ideas to consider, and says the project does not endorse any of them, since their application is debated and depends on what you are doing.

• Developers who read Chinese and want an overview of common software design ideas
• Students learning concepts such as the CAP theorem or the SOLID principles
• Team leads who want shared vocabulary about project management and organisation effects
• Readers who want links to original English and Chinese Wikipedia articles

Get the repository or read it online

The README lists one install method: cloning the repository with git. The project is a text reference, so there is no software to configure or run. You can also read the content on GitHub in your browser, since the install method is listed as read-online.

• Clone the repository if you want a local copy of the Markdown files

Find your way around the table of contents

The README opens with a table of contents split into three groups: 定律 (laws), 原则 (principles), and supporting sections such as 阅读清单 (reading list), 在线资源 (online resources), 相关项目 (related projects) and TODO. Each entry is a heading with the English name in brackets, so you can search for either the Chinese or English term.

Laws come first and include entries such as 布鲁克斯法则 (Brooks's Law), CAP 定理 (CAP Theorem), 康威定律 (Conway's Law) and 摩尔定律 (Moore's Law). Principles include SOLID, 不要重复你自己原则 (The DRY Principle), KISS and YAGNI.

• Use the table of contents links to jump to a single entry
• Search the page for the English name if you know the law by its English title
• Entries marked TODO link to topics the project has not finished

How to read a single entry

Each entry follows a similar pattern. It starts with links to the English Wikipedia article and, where available, the Chinese Wikipedia article. Next comes a short definition, often in a quoted block, then explanation, examples and a 参见 (see also) list pointing to related entries.

Using CAP Theorem as an example: the entry defines Consistency, Availability and Partition Tolerance, explains that a system under a network partition must choose between cancelling an operation or continuing it, and names the PACELC theorem as a later extension. Some entries include real-world examples with links to external articles.

• Start with the definition in the quoted block
• Read the explanation to see the trade-off or the argument behind the idea
• Follow the 参见 links to related entries
• Check the linked articles for more detail

Use the entries as shared vocabulary

The entries are most useful as shared terms. For example, Conway's Law describes how an organisation's communication structure can be reflected in the software it builds, and the entry links to The Spotify Model. Brooks's Law says that adding people to a late software project can make it later, and it links to the reading list entry for The Mythical Man-Month.

Because the README says the project describes these ideas without endorsing them, treat each entry as one perspective to test against your own project rather than a rule to apply automatically.