This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by George Bakatsias
Poor method signatures are a common code smell that can make your code harder to understand, maintain, and test. Method signatures are the public interface of your code, and they should clearly communicate what the method does, what inputs it expects, and what outputs it returns. Poor method signatures can lead to confusion and errors, especially when working in a team or when maintaining legacy code. Here are some categories of poor method signatures that you should be aware of:
Overloaded Methods:
Overloaded methods are methods that have the same name but different parameter types or numbers. While overloading can be useful in some cases, such as when you want to provide multiple ways of doing the same operation, too many overloaded methods can lead to confusion and errors. It can be difficult to remember the order and type of parameters for each overloaded method, and it can also be hard to differentiate between them in code.
// Methods that lead to confusion
public int Add(int a, int b)
public double Add(double a, double b)
public decimal Add(decimal a, decimal b)
Methods With Too Many Parameters:
Methods that take too many parameters can be hard to use and understand. When a method has too many parameters, it can be hard to remember their order and meaning, and it can also be hard to test the method with all possible combinations of parameters. Additionally, methods with too many parameters are often a sign of poor encapsulation, as they expose too much of their internal state to the caller.
// Poor method signature
void Calculate(int x, int y, int z, bool isFast, bool isExact, bool useCache)
// Improved method signature
void Calculate(CalculationParameters parameters)
Methods With Inconsistent Parameter Ordering:
Methods with inconsistent parameter ordering can be confusing and error-prone. When different methods in the same class or module have different parameter ordering, it can be hard to remember the correct order for each method. Additionally, inconsistent parameter ordering can make it hard to use code completion and can lead to mistakes when copying and pasting code.
// Poor parameter ordering
int Subtract(int b, int a)
// Improved parameter ordering
int Subtract(int a, int b)
Methods with Vague Return Types:
Methods with vague return types can be hard to understand and use. When a method returns a generic type like "object" or "dynamic", it can be hard to know what the method actually returns and what operations can be performed on the returned value. Additionally, vague return types can make it hard to use code completion and can lead to errors when the returned value is used in other parts of the code.
// Vague return type
object ParseFileContents(File file)
// Clear return type
ParsedFileContents ParseFileContents(File file)
Methods with Too Many Side Effects:
Methods that have too many side effects can be hard to reason about and test. When a method modifies its internal state or the state of other objects, it can be hard to know what the method actually does and what effects it has on the rest of the code. Additionally, methods with too many side effects can be hard to test, as they may have unexpected interactions with other parts of the code.
// Code with to many side effects
void Deposit(double amount)
{
// Add amount to balance
// Code to update database and log transaction
}
// Omitted side effects
public void Deposit(double amount)
{
// Add amount to balance
}
Poor Naming Convention:
By using consistent naming conventions for methods, you can make your code easier to read and maintain, which can save you time and effort in the long run.
// Poor naming convention
void save_to_database()
// Improved naming convention
void SaveToDatabase()
By following good practices for method signatures, you can make your code more readable, maintainable, and testable. Remember to choose clear and descriptive names, limit the number of parameters and side effects, use consistent parameter ordering and return types, and use refactoring tools like Rider to help you improve your code.
Here is a way of how Rider's refactoring tools can help to encapsulate a long parameter list of a method into a class:
- Select the method name.
- Right-click and select "Refactor" > "Convert" > "Transform Parameters" from the context menu.
Keyboard Shortcuts:
- Ctrl + Shift + R > Convert > Transform Parameters
Rider will then prompt you to enter a new name for the class(CalculationParameters), select which parameters to transform and will automatically update all references to that method replacing it with your new class.
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by George Bakatsias
George Bakatsias | Sciencx (2023-03-05T22:59:48+00:00) Poor method signatures. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2023/03/05/poor-method-signatures/
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