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Helper, Utility, Factory… or Something More Sinister?
- A harmless little helper file, 'helpers.ts,' grew uncontrollably with added functionalities like date formatting, ID generation, and tax rules, causing checkout to break when it failed.
- The attempt to keep architecture clean and modular led to logic scattering across files like helpers, utils, and factories, creating confusion and making bug tracking difficult.
- Utilities started accumulating business logic incrementally, leading to files like discountUtils housing a half-implemented loyalty engine, while the primary domain logic remained untouched and empty.
- The 'Utility Sink,' an anti-pattern, entices with charm and convenience, but absorbs all logic without clear ownership, resulting in invisible inconsistencies and errors.
- If a helper receives feature requests and stakeholders' attention, it has transcended its utility status and is actually a domain logic in disguise, revealing architectural misconceptions.
- Despite efforts to fix legacy issues, like extracting German VAT rules into the TaxPolicyService, legacy remains, as seen with a proposed 'refactor formatInvoice into invoiceUtils' PR, hinting at ongoing challenges with maintaining clean code.
- The article highlights the dangers of code drift, lack of clear logic ownership, and the importance of placing logic components where they truly belong, rather than hidden within utility files.
- It emphasizes the need for accountability in code maintenance and the potential consequences of neglecting the proper organization of business logic within software development projects.
- The narrative underscores the vital role of thoughtful categorization and naming conventions in preventing codebase complexities and ensuring easier maintenance and bug resolution.
- Despite efforts to fix issues within utility files, the article concludes with a sobering reminder of the persistent challenges that arise in managing codebases and the importance of responsible code ownership.
- Maintaining codebase cleanliness is crucial, as codes that initially seem harmless can evolve into complex, unreliable entities, leading to technical debt and maintenance nightmares.
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