DRY — Don't Repeat Yourself
Definition: Principle that every piece of knowledge should have a single, unambiguous representation in a system. DRY done badly creates the wrong abstractions — duplication is cheaper than the wrong coupling.
Example
In engineering planning, you'll often hear something like: "Let's pull the latest DRY numbers before we make a call" — shorthand for don't repeat yourself.
When you'll hear it
DRY shows up most often in engineering planning, architecture reviews, and sprint retrospectives. When someone uses it, they're usually referring to don't repeat yourself — and they expect the room to already know what that means.
FAQs
What does DRY stand for?
DRY stands for Don't Repeat Yourself.
What does DRY mean in technology and engineering?
Principle that every piece of knowledge should have a single, unambiguous representation in a system. DRY done badly creates the wrong abstractions — duplication is cheaper than the wrong coupling.
Where will I hear DRY used at work?
DRY comes up most often in engineering planning, architecture reviews, and sprint retrospectives. It's used as shorthand for don't repeat yourself, so people assume you already know the term.
Related terms
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