Quality terms
Because working code and good code are not the same thing
Code that works today but cannot be understood, tested, or modified tomorrow is a liability, not an asset. Code quality covers metrics, static analysis, design principles like SOLID and DRY, refactoring techniques, and the habits that separate codebases teams love from ones they dread maintaining. Good quality is not about perfection — it is about making the next change easier than the last.
Dead Condition PHP 5.0+
A boolean condition that is always true or always false due to logic errors, making the branch either always execute or never execute.
2mo ago
quality intermediate
Domain Model Pattern
An object model of the domain that incorporates both behaviour and data — entities with methods expressing domain operations rather than just data containers.
2mo ago
quality advanced
Data Clump
The same group of variables appearing together repeatedly — a signal they belong in a class together.
2mo ago
quality intermediate
Data Transfer Object (DTO) PHP 8.0+
A simple object that carries data between layers or systems with no business logic — reducing coupling between layers and making data contracts explicit.
2mo ago
quality intermediate
Dead Code PHP 5.0+
Code that can never be executed — unreachable after a return, or inside a condition that is always false.
2mo ago
quality beginner
Dead Code Detection PHP 7.1+
Identifying code that can never be executed — unreachable branches, always-true conditions, unused variables — via static analysis or coverage reports.
2mo ago
quality intermediate
Defensive Programming
Writing code that anticipates and handles invalid inputs, unexpected states, and failures gracefully.
2mo ago
quality intermediate
Design by Contract
Methods define formal preconditions (what callers must guarantee), postconditions (what the method guarantees), and invariants (what's always true).
2mo ago
quality advanced
Divergent Change
One class changes for many different reasons — a sign it has too many responsibilities.
2mo ago
quality intermediate
Duplicate Code PHP 5.0+
Identical or near-identical blocks of code in multiple places — the most common source of maintenance bugs.
2mo ago
quality beginner
Dependency Injection PHP 5.0+ Passing dependencies into a class rather than creating them inside — makes classes testable and loosely coupled.
2mo ago
quality intermediate
DRY Principle PHP 5.0+
Don't Repeat Yourself — every piece of knowledge should have a single, unambiguous representation in the codebase.
2mo ago
quality beginner