LowFile-scopeRuby Plug & play

Avoid Unnecessary Defensive Programming

Identify overly defensive code that checks for unrealistic conditions, such as excessive `nil?` checks or redundant type verifications.

Why this matters

Overly defensive programming that handles unrealistic scenarios increases code complexity. Focus on handling real-world edge cases instead.

Side-by-side examples engineers can pattern-match during review.

Avoid

def process(input)
  if input.nil? || !input.is_a?(String) || input.empty?
    return "Invalid input"
  end

  input.strip.upcase
end

Prefer

def process(input)
  return unless input.is_a?(String) && !input.empty?

  input.strip.upcase
end

Bad

def process(input)
  if input.nil? || !input.is_a?(String) || input.empty?
    return "Invalid input"
  end

  input.strip.upcase
end

Good

def process(input)
  return unless input.is_a?(String) && !input.empty?

  input.strip.upcase
end

From the same buckets as this rule.

Critical
Avoid Duplicating String Literals
Store repeated string literals in constants or variables to improve maintainability and reduce redundancy.
duplication-complexitymaintainability
Critical
Avoid Redundant `None` Comparisons
Identify cases where `x is None` or `x is not None` is used redundantly when `x` is always or never `None`. This may indicate a deeper logic issue.
duplication-complexityreadability-refactor+1
High
Avoid Functions That Always Return the Same Value
Identify functions that return the same value regardless of input. This may indicate poor design or a logic error.
duplication-complexityreadability-refactor+1