The WET Codebase: A Case Against Strict DRY
Dan Abramov has published the talk he gave at DeconstructConf 2019, titled "The Wet Codebase." The talk argues that a strict, literal interpretation of the Don’t Repeat Yourself (DRY) principle can backfire, leading to software that is genuinely hard to understand.
As the Wikipedia entry on DRY notes, violations are often labeled "WET" solutions, which typically stands for "write every time," "write everything twice," "we enjoy typing," or "waste everyone's time." Abramov’s presentation challenges this framing, suggesting that the aversion to repetition may be misplaced.
Watch: The Wet Codebase (includes transcript)
The talk is not specific to React or even JavaScript. Abramov designed it as a conversation starter for engineering teams, noting it works well when shared in Slack for group discussion. He credits talks by Sebastian, Sandi, and Cheng as inspirations, and thanks Gary Bernhardt and the conference team for organizing the event.
