Convention Over Configuration

ELI5 — The Vibe Check

Convention Over Configuration means frameworks make assumptions about what you want so you write less config. Put your file in the right folder with the right name and it just works. Rails, Nuxt, Next.js — they all do this. Follow the convention, skip the configuration. Break the convention, write the config.

Real Talk

Convention over configuration is a design paradigm where frameworks provide sensible defaults based on naming conventions and directory structures, reducing boilerplate configuration. Pioneered by Ruby on Rails, adopted by frameworks like Nuxt (file-based routing), Next.js (app directory), and Spring Boot (auto-configuration).

When You'll Hear This

"Nuxt's file-based routing is convention over configuration — pages/about.vue automatically becomes /about." / "Convention over configuration means our new developer was productive in an hour instead of a day."