Clean Code Basics: SRP - The Single Responsibility Principle

Let's explore one of the clean code basic principle, named SRP: Single Responsibility Principle, and why it does matters!

Welcome again, brave coder 👨‍💻. Today, we’ll be exploring a new pattern in the Clean Code Land! The Single Responsibility Principle (SRP). Think of it like a game where every character (code) must stick to just one job. Let’s dive in and find out how sticking to SRP will help us level up our code 🚀

Ala Barakati Lah!

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❓What Is SRP?

Imagine a hero living in castle, and he has multiple jobs: fighting dragons 🐉 cooking meals for the king, repairing the castle, and babysits the kingdom’s kids 👶 LOL. That’s chaos, right 😂? Instead, let’s give each hero one job so they can do it efficiently.

In coding, SRP means each function, class, or module should have a single, well-defined responsibility. Your code is like when the hero is doing too much, he will be doing nothing efficiently at the end. So please, don’t let your code do too much!

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❌The Problem of Multitasking Heroes (codes)

Here’s a good (messy, haha) example.

Meet our multitasking function manageKingdom:

function manageKingdom(kingdom) {
  // Manage finances
  kingdom.gold -= 100; 
  console.log("Gold spent on new armor!");

  // Train soldiers
  kingdom.army.forEach(soldier => soldier.train());
  console.log("Soldiers are ready for battle!");

  // Write kingdom laws
  kingdom.laws.push("Don't pet dragons!");
  console.log("New law added!");
}

What’s wrong here? 🤔
This function is doing too much! Finances, training soldiers, and writing kingdom laws?! That’s three jobs in one. Debugging this will be a burden!

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✅The SRP Solution!

Now, let’s split this into smaller, single-responsibility heroes:

function manageFinances(kingdom) {
  kingdom.gold -= 100;
  console.log("Gold spent on new armor!");
}

function trainArmy(kingdom) {
  kingdom.army.forEach(soldier => soldier.train());
  console.log("Soldiers are ready for battle!");
}

function writeLaw(kingdom, newLaw) {
  kingdom.laws.push(newLaw);
  console.log(`New law added: ${newLaw}`);
}

Now, you can assemble them when needed:

function manageKingdom(kingdom) {
  manageFinances(kingdom);
  trainArmy(kingdom);
  writeLaw(kingdom, "Don't pet dragons!");
}

What’s better about this?

1. Each function does one thing.

2. Debugging is easier, if laws are broken for example, you check only the function writeLaw.

3. Code is reusable. Need to train soldiers again? Call trainArmy without messing with finances.

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📌Why SRP Matters?

By following SRP, you unlock these perks:

1. Clarity: Each piece of code is easy to understand.

2. Flexibility: Want to change how you train soldiers? No need to touch the finances.

3. Bug Reduction: Focused heroes mean fewer chances of things breaking.

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🤝Wrap up!

Stick to SRP, and your code will be:

• Well-organized.

• Easy to manage, extend, and debug.

• Less likely to turn into a mess!

So next time you code, ask yourself: “Am I making a multitasking hero?” If yes, break it down! From now on, I want you to code responsibly!

That’s it for today’s article, see you soon!

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