Why I Keep My Code DRY

Hello, Africoders! 🌍

The first time I truly understood the power of keeping my code DRY was during a late-night coding session. I found myself repeatedly copying and pasting blocks of code to handle a common task across different modules of my application. It was tedious, error-prone, and frankly, exhausting.

DRY, or “Don't Repeat Yourself,” isn’t just a coding principle; it’s a mindset shift that promotes efficiency and clarity in software development. Imagine this scenario in a healthcare setting: managing patient appointments. Every time a patient schedules an appointment, the logic behind confirming, rescheduling, or canceling it needs to be consistent across your application

Initially, I had scattered this logic across various parts of my codebase. If any changes were needed—like updating how appointments are confirmed or handling cancellations—I had to hunt down every instance and make the same change repeatedly. It was a nightmare of maintenance and a breeding ground for bugs.

Then, I discovered a better way—a way to encapsulate this scheduling logic into a single, reusable component. By creating a robust `Appointment` class, I centralized all scheduling operations.

Here’s a simplified example:
`class Appointment:`

` def __init__(self, patient_name, appointment_time):`

` self.patient_name = patient_name`

` self.appointment_time = appointment_time`

` self.confirmed = False`

` `

` def schedule_appointment(self):`

` # Logic for scheduling an appointment`

` self.confirmed = True`

` `

` def reschedule_appointment(self, new_time):`

` # Logic for rescheduling an appointment`

` self.appointment_time = new_time`

` `

` def cancel_appointment(self):`

` # Logic for canceling an appointment`

` self.confirmed = False`

Now, any changes to appointment handling are confined to this class. Whether it's adding new features or fixing bugs, I only need to do it once. This not only saves time but also ensures consistency and reduces the risk of errors.

So, why do I keep my code DRY? Because it’s not just about writing less code—it’s about writing smarter code that’s easier to maintain, enhances productivity, and promotes reliability.

What’s your experience with keeping your code DRY? Join the conversation on our Africoders Forum and share your thoughts!

Happy coding! 💻