Disclaimer: ChatGPT generated document.
Anti-patterns in software engineering are common responses to recurring problems that may seem like good ideas at the time but end up being counterproductive, harmful, or unsustainable in the long term.
They are like the “bad habits” of code, design, or process — well-intentioned, sometimes popular, but ultimately flawed solutions that developers (especially under pressure) fall into.
🔍 An anti-pattern is a design or implementation approach that is ineffective or harmful, especially when better alternatives exist.
They are the opposite of design patterns, which are proven best practices for solving common software problems.
- Lack of experience or mentorship
- Tight deadlines and shortcuts
- Misunderstanding of architecture principles
- Copy-pasting code without understanding
- Overengineering or underengineering
- Following trends without adapting to context
- Code with no structure, tangled logic, and poor readability.
- Symptoms: hard to maintain, test, or debug.
👎 Happens when quick fixes are prioritized over modularity.
- One class does too much — manages everything from logic to data to UI.
- Violates Single Responsibility Principle.
👎 Leads to tightly coupled, untestable code.
- Repeating the same code in multiple places instead of using functions or modules.
👎 Hard to maintain — a bug in one place must be fixed in many places.
- Writing custom implementations for things already well-solved (e.g., writing your own sort algorithm).
👎 Wastes time, introduces bugs, and ignores reliable libraries.
- Trying to optimize before the real bottlenecks are known.
👎 Adds complexity without proven benefit; often violates YAGNI ("You Aren’t Gonna Need It").
- Designing systems with excessive abstraction, configuration, or generalization “just in case.”
👎 Makes code harder to understand and slower to deliver.
- Legacy or experimental code that never gets cleaned up, but remains in production.
👎 Creates fragile systems and confuses new developers.
- Hard-coded values scattered throughout code.
👎 Makes code unclear and harder to refactor. Use named constants or enums.
- A small change requires touching many unrelated files/modules.
👎 Sign of poor modularity or tight coupling.
- Using patterns, tools, or libraries without understanding why — just because “others do it.”
👎 Often leads to bloated or poorly adapted solutions.
Waiting until the end to integrate modules, leading to chaos.
Unrealistic schedules lead to burnout and bad code.
Too many decision-makers with conflicting ideas = bloated, unfocused system.
Stifles creativity, autonomy, and slows progress.
- ✅ Embrace design principles (SOLID, DRY, KISS, YAGNI)
- ✅ Prioritize code reviews and mentorship
- ✅ Use unit tests and modular design
- ✅ Refactor regularly
- ✅ Don’t guess — profile before optimizing
- ✅ Favor clarity and simplicity over cleverness
| Anti-Pattern | What It Is | Better Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Spaghetti Code | Messy, tangled logic | Modular, clean design |
| God Object | One class does too much | Follow Single Responsibility |
| Copy-Paste | Duplicated code | Use functions, DRY principle |
| Premature Optimization | Early, unjustified tuning | Profile first, optimize later |
| Overengineering | Too much abstraction or flexibility | Keep it simple, build as needed |
| Lava Flow | Uncleaned legacy code | Refactor, document, delete dead code |
Would you like a cheat sheet of common anti-patterns in C++, OOP, or Agile processes specifically?
Further reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-pattern