I prefer small-function programming, but I think there are needed caveats. Code reuse and easy testability are obvious upsides of small-function programming bu

I prefer small-function programming, but I think there are needed caveats. Code reuse and easy testability are obvious upsides of small-function programming but, most importantly, interactive development is easier and more fun. You can test and play with the code while you write. One downside on the human-readable end of things is that small-function code can easily devolve into spaghetti code if it's not done right. You actually have to think about where your functions are in the physical file, and have them logically organized, in order to have legible code. Appropriate line length of a function varies wildly by programming language. In Lisp or Haskell, a 25-line function is usually considered a "monster" and should, if possible, be broken up, since a lot is happening in those 25 lines. Whereas a 25-line Java function is nothing unusual.