Ravioli Code

What Does Ravioli Code Mean?

Ravioli code is one of a number of related terms that use the metaphor of pasta to describe computer code. These include spaghetti code and lasagna code. Ravioli code specifically uses the analogy of the small squares of filled pasta pieces to describe a large number of small, separate code modules that work together to accomplish a greater objective in a program’s source code.

Techopedia Explains Ravioli Code

There’s a debate in the developer/programmer community over what ravioli code means and whether it is good or bad. Generally, IT professionals agree that ravioli code is most often used to refer to splitting a larger code up into small, specialized modules, each of which are able to accomplish detail-level tasks.

One concern with this kind of coding is out of control calls, where it becomes difficult for all of these smaller pieces to reference each other in a meaningful way. Here, many point out that a larger, single piece of code can often be more efficient. However, others argue that code function specialization can be a very positive strategy if pursued and documented correctly. Overall, a great number of coders feel that ravioli code is neither innately good or bad, and should be considered on a case-by-case basis.