Everything You Need To Know On When To Split Functions For Clean Code
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Just a couple of days ago, I was refactoring a complex greedy algorithm in Cresta’s codebase.
I made the mistake of splitting the algorithm into too many functions, which made it harder to understand because I had to jump between them constantly. Despite having reviewed nearly 1,000 pull requests, I realized there’s always something new to learn about functions.
In this article, we’ll explore how to recognize when it’s a good idea to split a function and dive into a real-world code example from React’s codebase.
To Split Or Not To Split?
Software engineers often break up functions too much. Length alone isn’t a reliable indicator of whether a function should be split.
Here are some guidelines to help you decide:
When to Split:
- Multiple Responsibilities: If you’re trying to name a function and find yourself using more than one verb (e.g.,
validateAndProcessData), it’s a sign that the function is doing more than one thing.