dirty code

7.2

Computer code that is badly written and hard to read or fix

noun

Jargon

: código sucio

If you keep writing dirty code, it will be much harder to maintain the project.

Examples

The team spent several days cleaning up the dirty code left by their predecessors.
Why is there so much dirty code in this software?
Automated tools can help identify sections of dirty code for refactoring.
This project has a lot of dirty code.
Automated tools can help identify sections of dirty code that need improvement.
If you keep writing dirty code, it will be much harder to fix bugs in the future.
The team spent several days refactoring the dirty code left by their predecessors.

Synonyms

codebook

vsdirty code

1 4.4

A book or document that lists codes and explains what they mean

is programming text that is poorly structured and hard to read, not a document

hacky code

vsdirty code

Jargon

8.3

Code written quickly as a temporary fix that causes problems

is a lasting, poorly structured form rather than a quick temporary fix

Antonyms

clean code

Specialized

1 4.0

Clear, well organized computer instructions that are easy to read and change

How Clean

clean code

Specialized

1 4.0

dirty code

Jargon

7.2

spaghetti code

Jargon

1 7.2

Surface Forms

dirty code singular

dirty codes plural

Morphology

dirty + code

The meaning 'poorly structured or messy program text' follows directly from applying the common adjective 'dirty' (unclean/messy) to 'code' (program text), a straightforward metaphorical extension. Though technical nuances (bad practices, hard to read) are domain-specific, a B1 learner who knows both words can infer the intended sense.

Etymology

Dirty code comes from the picture of clothes that are dirty: messy, stained and hard to clean. That's why the phrase means 'programming code that is messy and hard to read or fix'.