Why booleans are overused in programming and what to use instead
By
vidyesh
Hot, fresh, and worth queueing round the block for.
Summary
The article argues that booleans (true/false values) are overused in programming and should often be replaced with more expressive types like enums, custom types, or polymorphic solutions. It explores common patterns where booleans hide more meaningful design choices, such as function parameters, state flags, and configuration options. The author advocates for replacing booleans with richer types to improve code clarity, maintainability, and domain modeling.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledIn almost every single instance when you use a boolean, it should be something else.
Doing this is worth the effort. It tells you a lot about your system, and it will improve your design (even if you end up using a boolean).
The trick is figuring out what 'something else' is.
There are a few possible types that come up often, hiding as booleans.
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