The Hexagonal Hangover

“It depends.” It’s the classic software architect’s answer… but what does it actually depend on? Patterns like Clean and Hexagonal Architecture are great tools, but they are often applied dogmatically. When we automatically wrap simple features in endless layers of abstraction and domain interfaces, we introduce unnecessary distance between related concepts. Those extra layers are intended to decouple, but they can sometimes just make our code harder to navigate, test, and maintain. In this talk, we’ll take a step back from “best practices” and look at the trade-offs behind architectural choices. Using clear Java code samples, we will explore the metrics that help guide these decisions: coupling, cohesion, and distance. Instead of looking for universally “clean” solutions, we’ll discuss how to evaluate what makes sense for your specific context.