Boolean Trap

Kind: anti-pattern

Layer: Enforcement Core

Aliases: Flag Argument

Record: architecture:boolean-trap

Severity: discouraged

Scope: architecture_evolution

Formed by: Use boolean parameters or flags that hide intent and create ambiguous call sites or combinatorial behavior.

Canonical: Ontology

A defect in which boolean parameters hide the intent of a call site.

Listed in Architecture principles, after Stringly Typed Programming and before Long Parameter List.

Refactored by

• Replace Boolean with Enum
• Split Method
• Introduce Parameter Object
• Name the Concept

Severity

• discouraged

Category

• Anti-patterns

Force

• Architecture evolution

Negated by

• Intent-Revealing Interface

Violates

• Intent-Revealing Interface

Linked from

• Anti-patterns
• Schema / Canonical Data / Semantics
• Core Modular Design
• Core Vocabulary
• Schema / Canonical Data / Semantics
• Severity levels
• The forces