Duplicate code is a computer programming term for a sequence of source code that occurs more than once, either within a program or across different programs owned or maintained by the same entity. Duplicate code is generally considered undesirable for a number of reasons. A minimum requirement is usually applied to the quantity of code that must appear in a sequence for it to be considered duplicate rather than coincidentally similar. Sequences of duplicate code are sometimes known as code clones or just clones.
The following are some of the ways in which two code sequences can be duplicates of each other:
- character-for-character identical
- character-for-character identical with white space characters and comments being ignored
- token-for-token identical
- token-for-token identical with occasional variation (i.e., insertion/deletion/modification of tokens)
- functionally identical
Read more about Duplicate Code: How Duplicates Are Created, Problems Associated With Duplicate Code, Detecting Duplicate Code, Example of Functionally Duplicate Code
Famous quotes containing the words duplicate and/or code:
“O Nature, and O soul of man! how far beyond all utterance are your linked analogies! not the smallest atom stirs or lives in matter, but has its cunning duplicate in mind.”
—Herman Melville (1819–1891)
“Many people will say to working mothers, in effect, “I don’t think you can have it all.” The phrase for “have it all” is code for “have your cake and eat it too.” What these people really mean is that achievement in the workplace has always come at a price—usually a significant personal price; conversely, women who stayed home with their children were seen as having sacrificed a great deal of their own ambition for their families.”
—Anne C. Weisberg (20th century)