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

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