Ruby is a dynamic, open source programming language with a focus on simplicity and productivity. It has an elegant syntax that is natural to read and easy to write.
Ruby Anti-Patterns Overview
Ruby, despite its elegant design and focus on developer happiness, still has common anti-patterns that can lead to bugs, performance issues, and maintenance problems. Here are the most important anti-patterns to avoid when writing Ruby code.
Using eval Unnecessarily
Using eval
can lead to serious security vulnerabilities. Use safer alternatives like parsing libraries or DSLs.
Not Using Ruby's Block Syntax
Ruby’s block syntax ensures resources are properly cleaned up, even if exceptions occur.
Using class variables (@@)
Class variables (@@var
) are shared across the entire class hierarchy, which can lead to unexpected behavior. Use class instance variables (@var
in class methods) instead.
Monkey Patching Core Classes
Monkey patching core classes can lead to conflicts with other libraries and unexpected behavior. Use refinements or utility modules instead.
Using method_missing Without respond_to_missing?
When using method_missing
, always implement respond_to_missing?
to ensure methods like respond_to?
and method
work correctly.
Not Using Ruby's Enumerable Methods
Ruby’s Enumerable module provides powerful methods for working with collections. Use them instead of manual iteration.
Using Global Variables
Global variables make code hard to test and reason about. Use dependency injection or configuration objects instead.
String Interpolation vs. Concatenation
String interpolation is more readable and often more efficient than string concatenation.
Not Using Ruby's Keyword Arguments
Keyword arguments are more explicit and provide better error messages than options hashes.
Not Using Ruby's Exception Hierarchy
Create a proper exception hierarchy and use specific exception types for better error handling.
Not Using Ruby's Destructuring Assignment
Use destructuring assignment to extract values from arrays and other enumerable objects.
Not Using Ruby's Case Expressions
Use case expressions for cleaner, more readable code when comparing a value against multiple options.
Not Using Ruby's Safe Navigation Operator
Not Using Ruby's Freeze
Use freeze
to prevent accidental modification of constants and other objects that should be immutable.
Not Using Ruby's Splat Operators
Use splat operators (*
and **
) for more flexible method arguments.
Not Using Ruby's Symbol to Proc
Use the symbol to proc shorthand (&:method_name
) for cleaner code when calling a single method in a block.
Not Using Ruby's Tap Method
Use tap
to perform operations on an object and return the object itself, avoiding temporary variables.
Not Using Ruby's Modules for Composition
Prefer composition over inheritance by using modules to share behavior across classes.
Not Using Ruby's Struct
Use Struct
for simple value objects to reduce boilerplate code.
Not Using Ruby's Enumerator
Use enumerators and lazy evaluation for more memory-efficient processing of large collections.
Not Using Ruby's Memoization
Use memoization to cache the results of expensive calculations.