dead code
Never-executed program lines
Dead code is programming instructions that exist in source code but never execute—either because conditions can never trigger it, or because it's been bypassed by later changes.
Compilers often detect and eliminate dead code automatically.
The term extends to any obsolete material kept around but no longer serving a purpose: Half this documentation is dead code at this point.
Never put to purpose
- obsoleteNo longer in use
- redundantExceeding what's needed
- unreachableCannot be accessed
- deprecatedFormally advised against using
vestigial · extraneous · superfluous · unnecessary · discarded · dormant · inoperative · pruning
Code improvement, same behavior
- debuggingError removal from programs
- legacyWhat's passed down
- technical debtAccumulated coding shortcuts
- maintenancePreserving working condition
clean-up · deprecation · linting · compilation · cruft · bloat · overhead · smell
unused
Never put to purpose
- obsoleteNo longer in use
- redundantExceeding what's needed
- unreachableCannot be accessed
deprecated · vestigial · extraneous · superfluous · unnecessary · discarded · dormant · inoperative · pruning · deletion
refactoring
Code improvement, same behavior
- debuggingError removal from programs
- legacyWhat's passed down
- technical debtAccumulated coding shortcuts
maintenance · clean-up · deprecation · linting · compilation · cruft · bloat · overhead · smell · optimization
- antipatternstechnical debt, cargo cult, golden hammer, silver bullet, over-engineering
- code analysislinting, lint, semantic analysis, lexical analysis, parsing
- code errorssyntax error, type error, escape sequence, conversion error, missing file
- code problemstech debt, technical debt, bugs, hacks, cruft
- software maintenancedebugging, refactoring, bug fixes, patching, hotfix
- test coveragecoverage gap