Break down complex code structures into simpler, more readable forms to improve maintainability and reduce cognitive load. This involves several key practices:
Break down complex code structures into simpler, more readable forms to improve maintainability and reduce cognitive load. This involves several key practices:
Extract duplicate code into helper methods:
// Instead of duplicating logic:
if (write) {
new CommandBuilder()
.setWorkingDir(env.getWorkspace())
.addArg(modTidyValue.buildozer().getPathString())
.addArg("-f")
.addArg("-")
} else {
new CommandBuilder()
.setWorkingDir(env.getWorkspace())
.addArg(modTidyValue.buildozer().getPathString())
.addArg("-f")
.addArg("-")
}
// Extract common construction:
private CommandBuilder createBaseBuilder() {
return new CommandBuilder()
.setWorkingDir(env.getWorkspace())
.addArg(modTidyValue.buildozer().getPathString())
.addArg("-f")
.addArg("-");
}
Use early returns to reduce nesting:
// Instead of nested conditions:
if (artifact instanceof DerivedArtifact) {
return true;
} else if (artifact instanceof BasicActionInput || artifact instanceof VirtualActionInput) {
return isOutputPath(artifact, outputRoot);
} else {
return false;
}
// Use early returns:
if (artifact instanceof DerivedArtifact) {
return true;
}
if (artifact instanceof BasicActionInput || artifact instanceof VirtualActionInput) {
return isOutputPath(artifact, outputRoot);
}
return false;
Prefer switch expressions over if-else chains:
// Instead of if-else:
Mode mode;
if (testCase.getStatus() == Status.PASSED) {
mode = Mode.INFO;
} else {
mode = Mode.ERROR;
}
// Use switch expression:
Mode mode = switch (testCase.getStatus()) {
case PASSED -> Mode.INFO;
default -> Mode.ERROR;
};
Make implicit operations explicit for clarity:
// Instead of implicit this:
equals(platformValue)
// Be explicit:
this.equals(platformValue)
Break large methods into focused smaller methods when they handle multiple distinct responsibilities, and extract string literals into constants when they appear in multiple places or carry semantic meaning.
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