Technical Debt

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Definition

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Types of Technical Debt

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Common Examples

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Managing Technical Debt

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Communicating to Business

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When to Take On Debt

// Strategic debt can be appropriate

// GOOD: Time-boxed, tracked, small scope
/**
 * TODO: Replace with proper caching layer.
 * Tech Debt Ticket: TECH-123
 * This in-memory cache is temporary for MVP launch.
 * Must replace before scaling past 100 users.
 */
private Map<String, User> userCache = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();

// GOOD: Documented trade-off
/**
 * Using simple linear search for now.
 * Acceptable for current data size (<1000 items).
 * If data grows, implement binary search or use database index.
 */
public Item findItem(String id) {
    return items.stream()
        .filter(i -> i.getId().equals(id))
        .findFirst()
        .orElse(null);
}

// BAD: Reckless, no documentation
public void processOrder(Order o) {
    // Quick hack, will fix later
    if (o.t == 1) doA();
    else if (o.t == 2) doB();
    // ... 500 more lines of spaghetti
}

// Decision Framework:
// Take debt IF:
// - Business need is clear and time-sensitive
// - Scope and risk are understood
// - Payment plan exists (when we'll fix it)
// - It's tracked and visible

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Tips & Tricks

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