Code that is no longer used or needed. Code that is no longer used or needed. TL;DR: Do not keep code "just in case I need it". Problems 😔 MaintainabilityExtra readingBroken intentWasted effort Maintainability Extra reading Broken intent Wasted effort Solutions 😃 Remove the codeKISSShrink codebaseTest behavior onlyTrust version control Remove the code KISS KISS Shrink codebase Test behavior only Trust version control Refactorings ⚙️ https://hackernoon.com/refactoring-021-remove-dead-code https://hackernoon.com/refactoring-021-remove-dead-code Examples 📚 Gold plating code or Yagni code. Gold plating code or Yagni code. Yagni Context 💬 Dead code appears when you change requirements, and you fear deleting things. You comment logic, keep old branches, or preserve unused methods just in case. When you do that, you lie about what the system can actually do. The code promises behavior that never happens. Sample Code 📖 Wrong 🚫 class Robot {   
  walk() {
    // ...
    }
  serialize() {
    // ..
  }
  persistOnDatabase(database) {
    // ..
  }
} class Robot {   
  walk() {
    // ...
    }
  serialize() {
    // ..
  }
  persistOnDatabase(database) {
    // ..
  }
} Right 👉 class Robot {   
  walk() {
    // ...
    }  
} class Robot {   
  walk() {
    // ...
    }  
} Detection 🔍 Coverage tools can find dead code (uncovered) if you have a great suite of tests. Exceptions 🛑 Avoid metaprogramming. When used, it is very difficult to find references to the code. Avoid metaprogramming. When used, it is very difficult to find references to the code. https://hackernoon.com/laziness-chapter-i-meta-programming-6s4l300e https://hackernoon.com/laziness-chapter-i-meta-programming-6s4l300e Tags 🏷️ YAGNI YAGNI Level 🔋 [x] Beginner Why the Bijection Is Important 🗺️ Your program must mirror the MAPPER with a clear bijection. MAPPER bijection Dead code breaks that mapping. The domain has no such behavior, yet the code claims it exists. When you do that, you destroy trust. Readers cannot know what matters and what does not. AI Generation 🤖 AI generators often create dead code. They add defensive branches, legacy helpers, and unused abstractions to make it look complete. When you do not review the result, the smell stays. AI Detection 🧲 AI tools can remove this smell with simple instructions. You can ask them to delete unreachable code and align logic with tests. They work well when you already have coverage. Try Them! 🛠 Remember: AI Assistants make lots of mistakes Remember: AI Assistants make lots of mistakes Suggested Prompt: correct=remove dead code Without Proper Instructions 📵 ChatGPTClaudePerplexityCopilotYouGeminiDeepSeekMeta AIGrokQwen ChatGPT ChatGPT Claude Claude Perplexity Perplexity Copilot Copilot You You Gemini Gemini DeepSeek DeepSeek Meta AI Meta AI Grok Grok Qwen Qwen With Specific Instructions 👩‍🏫 ChatGPTClaudePerplexityCopilotYouGeminiDeepSeekMeta AIGrokQwen ChatGPT ChatGPT Claude Claude Perplexity Perplexity Copilot Copilot You You Gemini Gemini DeepSeek DeepSeek Meta AI Meta AI Grok Grok Qwen Qwen Conclusion 🏁 Remove dead code for simplicity. If you are uncertain of your code, you can temporarily disable it using Feature Toggle. Feature Toggle Removing code is always more rewarding than adding. Relations 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨 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 More Information 📕 HACKERNOONLaziness Chapter I: Meta-Programming | HackerNoonMeta-programming is magic. That is the main reason why we should not use it. There are many dire consequences on the horizon. HACKERNOONLaziness Chapter I: Meta-Programming | HackerNoonMeta-programming is magic. That is the main reason why we should not use it. There are many dire consequences on the horizon. HACKERNOONLaziness Chapter I: Meta-Programming | HackerNoonMeta-programming is magic. That is the main reason why we should not use it. There are many dire consequences on the horizon. HACKERNOONLaziness Chapter I: Meta-Programming | HackerNoonMeta-programming is magic. That is the main reason why we should not use it. There are many dire consequences on the horizon. HACKERNOON Laziness Chapter I: Meta-Programming | HackerNoon Meta-programming is magic. That is the main reason why we should not use it. There are many dire consequences on the horizon. Credits 🙏 Photo by Ray Shrewsberry on Pixabay Ray Shrewsberry Pixabay This article is part of the CodeSmell Series. HACKERNOONHow to Find the Stinky Parts of Your Code (Part I) | HackerNoonThe code smells bad. Let’s see how to change the aromas. In this series, we will see several symptoms and situations that make us doubt the quality of our developments. We will present possible solutions. Most of these smells are just hints of something that might be wrong. They are not rigid rules. HACKERNOONHow to Find the Stinky Parts of Your Code (Part I) | HackerNoonThe code smells bad. Let’s see how to change the aromas. In this series, we will see several symptoms and situations that make us doubt the quality of our developments. We will present possible solutions. Most of these smells are just hints of something that might be wrong. They are not rigid rules. HACKERNOONHow to Find the Stinky Parts of Your Code (Part I) | HackerNoonThe code smells bad. Let’s see how to change the aromas. In this series, we will see several symptoms and situations that make us doubt the quality of our developments. We will present possible solutions. Most of these smells are just hints of something that might be wrong. They are not rigid rules. HACKERNOONHow to Find the Stinky Parts of Your Code (Part I) | HackerNoonThe code smells bad. Let’s see how to change the aromas. In this series, we will see several symptoms and situations that make us doubt the quality of our developments. We will present possible solutions. Most of these smells are just hints of something that might be wrong. They are not rigid rules. HACKERNOON How to Find the Stinky Parts of Your Code (Part I) | HackerNoon The code smells bad. Let’s see how to change the aromas. In this series, we will see several symptoms and situations that make us doubt the quality of our developments. We will present possible solutions. Most of these smells are just hints of something that might be wrong. They are not rigid rules.

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