Need

Removal of unused properties in the application code

Context

• Usage of Scala for building scalable and functional applications
• Usage of play.api.mvc for handling HTTP requests and responses in Play Framework

Description

Non compliant code

        package controllers

import play.api.mvc._

class HomeController extends Controller {

  private val unusedProperty = "This is an unused property"

  def index = Action {
    Ok("Welcome to Play Framework!")
  }
}
        
        

In the above Scala code, we have a Play Framework controller named HomeController. Inside this controller, there is a private property named unusedProperty which is not used anywhere in the code.

This property is initialized with a string value "This is an unused property", but it is not referenced or used anywhere in the class or the rest of the application.

This is an example of inappropriate coding practices, specifically the issue of unused properties. It adds unnecessary complexity to the source code and can lead to a suboptimal state that may affect the overall application performance.

Unused properties can also lead to confusion for developers who are reading or maintaining the code, as they may not know if the property was intended to be used or not. It's a best practice to remove or comment out unused code to prevent confusion and potential performance issues.

Steps

• Identify and remove any unused properties in the code.
• Review the codebase to ensure that all properties are being used appropriately.
• Consider refactoring the code to remove any unnecessary complexity.
• Perform thorough testing to ensure that the changes do not introduce any regressions.

Compliant code

        package controllers

import play.api.mvc._

class HomeController extends Controller {

  def index = Action {
    Ok("Welcome to Play Framework!")
  }
}
        
        

The unused property unusedProperty has been removed from the HomeController class. This property was not being used anywhere in the code, which added unnecessary complexity and could potentially affect the performance of the application.

The removal of this property simplifies the code and reduces the risk of potential issues related to unused code. It's always a good practice to remove unused code to keep the codebase clean, maintainable, and efficient.

After making these changes, it's important to thoroughly test the application to ensure that the removal of this property does not introduce any regressions or new issues.

References

• 391. Inappropriate coding practices - Unused properties