Editing Cargo cult programming (section)

{{short description|Ritual inclusion of computer code that serves no purpose}}
'''Cargo cult programming''' is a style of [[computer programming]] characterized by the ritual inclusion of code or program structures that serve no real purpose. Cargo cult programming is symptomatic of a programmer not understanding either a bug they were attempting to solve or the apparent solution (compare [[shotgun debugging]], [[magic (programming)|deep magic]]).{{r|Raymond_1996}} The term ''cargo cult programmer'' may apply when anyone inexperienced with the problem at hand [[copy and paste programming|copies some program code]] from one place to another with little understanding of how it works or whether it is required.

Cargo cult programming can also refer to the practice of applying a [[software design pattern|design pattern]] or coding style blindly without understanding the reasons behind that design principle. Some examples are adding unnecessary comments to self-explanatory code, overzealous adherence to the conventions of a [[programming paradigm]], or adding deletion code for objects that [[Garbage collection (computer science)|garbage collection]] automatically collects.