Reduce the size of methods

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In general, a small method is a good method. Not only is a small method an easier chunk of logic for a programmer to understand, it makes subclassing easier. Large methods in superclasses will often be partly correct for subclasses, but not completely correct. This means that the subclass has to re-write the whole method, even if most of it is correct. If your superclass only has small methods, only some of these methods will need to be changed in the subclass, or more likely, the only change will be adding some more small methods. Small methods are therefore an important part of software reusability.
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In general, a small method is a good method. Not only is a small method an easier chunk of logic for a programmer to understand, it makes subclassing easier. Large methods in superclasses will often be partly correct for subclasses, but not completely correct. This means that the subclass has to re-write the whole method, even if most of it is correct. If your superclass only has small methods, it is easier to change its behaviour in subclasses. Small methods are therefore an important part of software reusability.
  
 
== See Also ==
 
== See Also ==
 
* [[Long method smell]]
 
* [[Long method smell]]
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* [[Template Method]]
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[[Category:Johnson and Foote's heuristics]]

Revision as of 01:10, 18 August 2009

In general, a small method is a good method. Not only is a small method an easier chunk of logic for a programmer to understand, it makes subclassing easier. Large methods in superclasses will often be partly correct for subclasses, but not completely correct. This means that the subclass has to re-write the whole method, even if most of it is correct. If your superclass only has small methods, it is easier to change its behaviour in subclasses. Small methods are therefore an important part of software reusability.

See Also

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