- Mysterious Name
- Duplicated Code
- Long Function
- Long Parameter List
- Global Data
- Mutable Data
- Divergent Change
- Shotgun Surgery
- Feature Envy
- Data Clumps
- Primitive Obsession
- Repeated Switches
- Loops
- Lazy Element
- Speculative Generality
- Temporary Field
- Message Chains
- Middle Man
- Insider Trading
- Large Class
- Alternative Classes with Different Interfaces
- Data Class
- Refused Bequest
- Comments
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Data Clumps
Data items tend to be like children: They enjoy hanging around together. Often, you’ll see the same three or four data items together in lots of places: as fields in a couple of classes, as parameters in many method signatures. Bunches of data that hang around together really ought to find a home together. The first step is to look for where the clumps appear as fields. Use Extract Class (182) on the fields to turn the clumps into an object. Then turn your attention to method signatures using Introduce Parameter Object (140) or Preserve Whole Object (319) to slim them down. The immediate benefit is that you can shrink a lot of parameter lists and simplify method calling. Don’t worry about data clumps that use only some of the fields of the new object. As long as you are replacing two or more fields with the new object, you’ll come out ahead.
A good test is to consider deleting one of the data values. If you did this, would the others make any sense? If they don’t, it’s a sure sign that you have an object that’s dying to be born.
You’ll notice that we advocate creating a class here, not a simple record structure. We do this because using a class gives you the opportunity to make a nice perfume. You can now look for cases of feature envy, which will suggest behavior that can be moved into your new classes. We’ve often seen this as a powerful dynamic that creates useful classes and can remove a lot of duplication and accelerate future development, allowing the data to become productive members of society.