Reusability is overrated

Published in January 2021

As software developers, we're often taught to strive for maximum reusability in our code. The idea is that by designing solutions that are highly reusable, we can save time and effort in the long run, as we can simply reuse existing code rather than reinventing the wheel every time we need to solve a problem.

But is reusability really all it's cracked up to be? In my experience, the answer is no. While reusability can be a valuable goal in some cases, it's often overemphasized to the detriment of other important factors like simplicity and maintainability.

Let me explain why.

First of all, designing a solution that is highly reusable from the start is often a waste of time and effort. Unless you have a very specific use case in mind, it's hard to know exactly what aspects of your code will be reusable in the future. Spending a lot of time trying to make everything as reusable as possible is likely to result in a bloated, overly complex solution that is hard to maintain.

Instead, it's often better to focus on solving the specific problem at hand, and worry about reusability later if and when it becomes necessary. This doesn't mean you should completely ignore reusability, of course - it's important to design your code in a way that is modular and flexible, so that it can be easily modified or extended in the future if needed. But there's no need to go overboard with this - just keeping things simple and well-organized can go a long way towards making your code reusable.

Another issue with overemphasizing reusability is that it can lead to overly complex code that is hard to understand and maintain. When you're trying to design a solution that can be reused in many different contexts, it's tempting to include lots of extra configuration options and customization hooks to make it as flexible as possible. But all of this extra complexity can make it hard for other developers to understand how the code works, and can lead to bugs and errors down the line.

Ultimately, the most important factor in any software development project should be the client's needs. If you're spending all of your time trying to design a highly reusable solution, you may be neglecting other important aspects of the project, like meeting deadlines, delivering features that the client actually wants, and ensuring that your code is easy to understand and maintain over time.

In conclusion, while reusability can be a valuable goal in some cases, it's often overemphasized to the detriment of other important factors like simplicity and maintainability. There is a balance to strike between reusability, simplicity and maintainability, and it's important to keep the client's needs at the forefront of any software development project. So, the next time you're working on a project, take a step back and ask yourself whether you really need to make everything as reusable as possible, or whether you can simplify your approach and focus on delivering the specific features your client needs.