Hard Coding
Hard coding is a software development practice where fixed values, such as numbers, strings, or configuration settings, are directly embedded into the source code rather than being stored in external files, databases, or environment variables. This approach makes the code less flexible and harder to maintain, as changes require modifying and recompiling the code. It is generally considered an anti-pattern in modern software engineering due to its lack of adaptability and potential for errors.
Developers should avoid hard coding in most scenarios, as it leads to brittle code that is difficult to update and test. However, it might be used temporarily for prototyping, debugging, or in simple scripts where configurability is not a priority. Learning about hard coding helps developers understand best practices for writing maintainable and scalable code by emphasizing the use of configuration management and external data sources.