Using each with break or return statements is a common anti-pattern in Ruby that makes code less readable
and less idiomatic.
When you use each with break or return, you’re essentially implementing search or filtering logic manually.
This approach has several problems:
- Intent is unclear: Other developers need to read through the entire loop to understand what the code is trying to accomplish
- More verbose: The code requires additional variables and control flow statements
- Less idiomatic: Ruby provides specific enumerable methods designed for these exact use cases
- Harder to maintain: Manual loop control is more error-prone than using built-in methods
Ruby’s enumerable methods are designed to express intent clearly. When you see find, you immediately know the code is searching for an
element. When you see any?, you know it’s checking for existence. This makes code self-documenting and easier to understand at a
glance.
What is the potential impact?
This issue primarily affects code maintainability and readability. While the functional behavior remains the same, unclear intent can lead to:
- Increased time spent understanding code during maintenance
- Higher likelihood of introducing bugs when modifying the logic
- Reduced code quality and team productivity
- Difficulty for new team members to understand the codebase
