Ad Hoc Coding
Ad hoc coding is an informal, unstructured approach to programming where developers write code quickly to solve immediate problems without following formal design patterns, documentation, or long-term planning. It often involves creating temporary or one-off solutions that are not intended for reuse or maintenance. This method prioritizes speed and convenience over code quality, scalability, and best practices.
Developers might use ad hoc coding in situations requiring rapid prototyping, debugging, or handling urgent issues where time is critical, such as in hackathons, emergency fixes, or exploratory data analysis. However, it should be avoided for production systems or long-term projects, as it can lead to technical debt, bugs, and maintenance challenges due to its lack of structure and documentation.