Helix Smells - Habitat Cargo Cult

This post describes how to spot a Sitecore solution has become a victim of the Habitat Cargo Cult, as well as tips to prevent it from occurring. It's part of a series documenting Helix Smells - some of the common pitfalls of Sitecore development when following the Helix architecture.

Common Symptoms

Code or entire projects are copied directly from Sitecore's example Helix solutions.
The "style" of Helix used, but the underlying principles are not followed.

Why Does It Occur?

Developers use Sitecore's demo Helix sites as a learning resource. They get a basic understanding of the "look and feel' of a Helix solution, but don't take their learning further to grasp the principles that led to the demo sites being built in that way.

What problems does it Cause?

The requirements of every project are unique, and copying code from a demo site can result in redundancy. You might have functionality that you don't need, and you might have required functionality that is missing.

Making amendments to code that was imported into your solution wholesale can often be more time consuming than writing it yourself in the first place.

The Helix guidelines are built on tried and tested software development principles. When used correctly (as with Habitat), they can produce robust and flexible software. But simply copying the "style" of Helix will not automatically result in the same benefits. In fact you might get all the overhead of the Helix approach, and still end up with a big ball of mud.

What's the Solution

Take the time to learn the principles that underpin Helix. That will allow you to make informed decisions when building your own projects. You'll know when to stick to the rules closely, and when they can be bent or broken entirely. If you understand the "why" of Helix you will get far more benefit.

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