𝗖𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗗𝘂𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗜𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗪𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀
Developers love the DRY principle.
You want to avoid repeating yourself. You want elegant and reusable code.
But this goal often leads to a trap: premature abstraction.
Repeating code feels wrong. However, duplication is often cheaper than a bad abstraction.
We try to build perfect modular systems. We look for patterns and extract logic to manage complexity.
Well-designed abstractions help software scale.
But many abstractions are built too early. If you do not understand the problem fully, your abstraction becomes a liability.
A wrong abstraction causes several problems:
- Over-engineering: You build complex solutions for simple problems.
- Rigidity: Your code becomes hard to change because it tries to predict a future that never happens.
- Obscured Intent: Business logic hides under layers of generic interfaces. This makes debugging hard.
- Tight Coupling: Parts of your system become stuck to the abstraction itself.
The cost is high. You spend time fighting your own architecture instead of solving user problems. It slows down your team and makes refactoring difficult.
I am not telling you to copy and paste everything. I am suggesting a pragmatic approach.
Use controlled duplication as a tool. Use it in areas where requirements change fast or where you face uncertainty.
Wait until you see the pattern clearly before you build the abstraction.