spaghetti code

English

Noun

spaghetti code (uncountable)

1. (programming, derogatory, informal) Unstructured or poorly structured program source code; especially code with many GOTO statements or their equivalent.

   Synonym: spaghetti

   Coordinate terms: lasagna code, ravioli code

   • 2017, Joyce Farrell, Programming Logic & Design, Cengage Learning, →ISBN, page 88:

     The descriptive name for logically snarled program statements is spaghetti code, because the logic is as hard to follow as one noodle through a plate of spaghetti. Not only is spaghetti code confusing, but also the programs that contain it are prone to error, difficult to reuse, and hard to use as building blocks for larger applications.

See also

• cable spaghetti
• rat's nest
• structured programming
• tag soup

 

Further reading

• spaghetti code on Wikipedia.Wikipedia