Hard Coded Calculations
Hard coded calculations refer to the practice of embedding fixed numerical values or formulas directly into source code, rather than using variables, configuration files, or external data sources. This approach makes calculations inflexible and difficult to modify, as changes require editing the code itself. It is generally considered an anti-pattern in software development due to its lack of maintainability and adaptability.
Developers should avoid hard coded calculations in most scenarios, as they lead to brittle code that is hard to debug and update; instead, they should use parameterized values or configuration management. However, in rare cases like prototyping, simple scripts, or performance-critical sections where values are truly constant and never change, minimal hard coding might be acceptable. Learning this concept helps developers understand best practices for writing clean, maintainable code.