Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

What is BEE?

BEE (Backend Engineering Essentials) is a numbered collection of backend engineering guidelines. See BEE-0 for the full overview.

Who is BEE for?

Backend engineers with 1-3 years of experience, and anyone onboarding into backend development. BEE builds conceptual foundations -- not vendor-specific tutorials.

Is BEE specific to a particular language or framework?

No. BEE principles are vendor-agnostic and language-agnostic. When a concept is best illustrated with a specific technology, it is clearly noted as an example, not a recommendation.

How does BEE relate to ADE and DEE?

BEE covers backend engineering broadly. ADE (API Design Essentials) goes deep on API design. DEE (Database Design Principles) goes deep on database design. BEE links to ADE and DEE for deep dives where topics overlap.

Can I propose a new BEE?

Yes. Follow the structure described in BEE-0 and submit a pull request.

Content Questions

Why RFC 2119 keywords (MUST, SHOULD, MAY)?

These keywords provide precise guidance levels. MUST means the principle is non-negotiable. SHOULD means follow it unless you have a documented reason not to. MAY means it is optional.

How are BEE numbers assigned?

BEPs are numbered by category range. See the category table in BEE-0 for the full mapping.

What if my situation requires deviating from a BEE?

Document the reason. BEPs are guidelines, not laws. The goal is to make informed decisions, not to blindly follow rules.