Long chains of method calls create tight coupling and ripple effects. Any change in the chain breaks dependent code. Long chains of method calls create tight coupling and ripple effects. Any change in the chain breaks dependent code. TL;DR: Send messages only to your direct acquaintances, not their friends. TL;DR: Send messages only to your direct acquaintances, not their friends. Problems 😔 Tight Coupling
Broken encapsulation
Ripple effect
Fragile, brittle design
Poor readability
Difficult testing and maintenance Tight Coupling Coupling Broken encapsulation Ripple effect Ripple effect Fragile, brittle design Poor readability Difficult testing and maintenance Solutions 😃 Create intermediate methods.
Apply the Law of Demeter.
Create higher level messages.
Add intermediate methods
Simplify message passing
Encapsulate collaborations
Raise abstraction level Create intermediate methods. Apply the Law of Demeter. Law of Demeter Create higher level messages. Add intermediate methods Simplify message passing Encapsulate collaborations Raise abstraction level Refactorings ⚙️ https://hackernoon.com/refactoring-034-wrapping-messy-parameters-into-a-single-meaningful-entity?embedable=true https://hackernoon.com/refactoring-034-wrapping-messy-parameters-into-a-single-meaningful-entity?embedable=true https://maximilianocontieri.com/refactoring-010-extract-method-object?embedable=true https://maximilianocontieri.com/refactoring-010-extract-method-object?embedable=true Context 💬 When you call a.b().c().d(), you create a dependency chain. Any change inside one link forces you to update all the code that relies on it. You expose too much internal structure and violate encapsulation. You also create brittle tests that break after small refactors. brittle tests Instead of chaining, introduce clear responsibilities and let each class talk only to its direct acquaintances. Sample Code 📖 Wrong 🚫 class Dog {
   constructor(feet) {
     this.feet = feet;    
  }
  getFeet() {    
    return this.feet;
  }  
}

class Foot {
  move() { }
}

feet = [new Foot(), new Foot(), new Foot(), new Foot()];
dog = new Dog(feet);

for (var foot of dog.getFeet()) {
  foot.move(); 
}

// Equivalent to dog.getFeet()[0].move(); dog.getFeet()[1].move() ... class Dog {
   constructor(feet) {
     this.feet = feet;    
  }
  getFeet() {    
    return this.feet;
  }  
}

class Foot {
  move() { }
}

feet = [new Foot(), new Foot(), new Foot(), new Foot()];
dog = new Dog(feet);

for (var foot of dog.getFeet()) {
  foot.move(); 
}

// Equivalent to dog.getFeet()[0].move(); dog.getFeet()[1].move() ... Right 👉 class Dog {
   constructor(feet) {
     this.feet = feet;    
  }
  walk() {
    // This is encapsulated on how the dog walks
    for (var foot of this.feet) {
      foot.move(); 
    }
  }
}

class Foot {
  move() { }
}

feet = [new Foot(), new Foot(), new Foot(), new Foot()];
dog = new Dog(feet);
dog.walk(); class Dog {
   constructor(feet) {
     this.feet = feet;    
  }
  walk() {
    // This is encapsulated on how the dog walks
    for (var foot of this.feet) {
      foot.move(); 
    }
  }
}

class Foot {
  move() { }
}

feet = [new Foot(), new Foot(), new Foot(), new Foot()];
dog = new Dog(feet);
dog.walk(); Detection 🔍 Automatic Automatic You can automatically detect this smell using static analysis tools that examine abstract syntax trees (ASTs) and count chained method calls. Exceptions 🛑 Builders: new CarBuilder().withEngine().withWheels().build()
Fluent APIs: Designed intentionally for chaining
DSLs: Domain-specific languages where chaining improves readability Builders: new CarBuilder().withEngine().withWheels().build() Builders new CarBuilder().withEngine().withWheels().build() Fluent APIs: Designed intentionally for chaining Fluent APIs DSLs: Domain-specific languages where chaining improves readability DSLs Even in these cases, keep chains consistent, predictable, and limited in depth. Tags 🏷️ Complexity Complexity Level 🔋 Beginner Beginner Why the Bijection Is Important 🗺️ In the bijection between your code and the MAPPER, each concept should match a single element. bijection When you chain too many calls, you blur the map. Your objects start revealing paths instead of intentions. That breaks the direct link between the MAPPER and the problem it solves. MAPPER AI Generation 🤖 AI models often create this smell. They chain method calls to access deep data instead of creating higher-level abstractions. This happens because the model learns from large codebases that favor shortcuts over clarity. AI Detection 🧲 You can ask an AI to rewrite a chain into a single message or to apply the Law of Demeter. Simple instructions like "encapsulate this chain" usually work. Conclusion 🏁 Avoid successive message calls. Try to hide the intermediate collaborations and create new protocols. Try Them! 🛠 Remember: AI Assistants make lots of mistakes Remember: AI Assistants make lots of mistakes Suggested Prompt: correct=break this collaboration chain Suggested Prompt: correct=break this collaboration chain Without Proper Instructions

With Specific Instructions



ChatGPT

ChatGPT



Claude

Claude



Perplexity

Perplexity



Copilot

Copilot



You

You



Gemini

Gemini



DeepSeek

DeepSeek



Meta AI

Meta AI



Grok

Grok



Qwen

Qwen Without Proper Instructions

With Specific Instructions



ChatGPT

ChatGPT



Claude

Claude



Perplexity

Perplexity



Copilot

Copilot



You

You



Gemini

Gemini



DeepSeek

DeepSeek



Meta AI

Meta AI



Grok

Grok



Qwen

Qwen Without Proper Instructions

With Specific Instructions Without Proper Instructions Without Proper Instructions With Specific Instructions With Specific Instructions ChatGPT

ChatGPT ChatGPT ChatGPT ChatGPT ChatGPT ChatGPT ChatGPT Claude

Claude Claude Claude Claude Claude Claude Claude Perplexity

Perplexity Perplexity Perplexity Perplexity Perplexity Perplexity Perplexity Copilot

Copilot Copilot Copilot Copilot Copilot Copilot Copilot You

You You You You You You You Gemini

Gemini Gemini Gemini Gemini Gemini Gemini Gemini DeepSeek

DeepSeek DeepSeek DeepSeek DeepSeek DeepSeek DeepSeek DeepSeek Meta AI

Meta AI Meta AI Meta AI Meta AI Meta AI Meta AI Meta AI Grok

Grok Grok Grok Grok Grok Grok Grok Qwen

Qwen Qwen Qwen Qwen Qwen Qwen Qwen Relations 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨 https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xiv https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xiv https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-iv-7sc3w8n https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-iv-7sc3w8n https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xiii https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xiii https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xi-sit35t1 https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xi-sit35t1 https://hackernoon.com/code-smell-271-the-hollywood-principle?embedable=true https://hackernoon.com/code-smell-271-the-hollywood-principle?embedable=true More Information 📕 https://refactoring.guru/es/smells/message-chains?embedable=true https://refactoring.guru/es/smells/message-chains?embedable=true https://hackernoon.com/coupling-the-one-and-only-software-designing-problem-9z5a321h?embedable=true https://hackernoon.com/coupling-the-one-and-only-software-designing-problem-9z5a321h?embedable=true Also Known as 🪪 Message Chains
Law of Demeter Message Chains Law of Demeter Credits 🙏 Photo by Chewy on Unsplash Chewy Unsplash Talk only to your friends, not to strangers. Talk only to your friends, not to strangers. Karl Lieberherr Karl Lieberherr https://hackernoon.com/400-thought-provoking-software-engineering-quotes?embedable=true https://hackernoon.com/400-thought-provoking-software-engineering-quotes?embedable=true This article is part of the CodeSmell Series. https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-i-xqz3evd?embedable=true https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-i-xqz3evd?embedable=true

Code Smell 08 - Send Messages Only to Your Direct Acquaintances, Not Their Friends

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