Quality terms
Lines of Code (LOC) as a Metric
The simplest size metric — useful for normalising other metrics and tracking growth, but a poor quality indicator when used in isolation.
3mo ago
quality beginner
Long Method
PHP 5.0+
A function or method that is too long to understand in one reading — typically 20+ lines is a signal to split.
3mo ago
quality beginner
Long Parameter List
A function or method with too many parameters — typically 4+ — making calls hard to read and easy to get wrong.
3mo ago
quality beginner
Premature Optimisation
Optimising code before measuring where the actual bottleneck is — trading readability for performance gains that often don't matter.
3mo ago
quality beginner
Principle of Least Astonishment
Code should behave in a way that minimises surprise — functions should do what their name implies, with no unexpected side effects.
3mo ago
quality beginner
YAGNI
PHP 5.0+
You Aren't Gonna Need It — don't implement functionality until it's actually required.
3mo ago
quality beginner
Code Smell
A surface indication in code that usually corresponds to a deeper design problem — not a bug, but a maintainability risk.
3mo ago
quality beginner
DRY Principle
PHP 5.0+
Don't Repeat Yourself — every piece of knowledge should have a single, unambiguous representation in the codebase.
3mo ago
quality beginner
Magic Number
PHP 5.0+
A numeric literal with no explanation — its meaning is unclear without context, harming readability and maintainability.
3mo ago
quality beginner