ad-libbedcode

noun

UK /ˌædˈlɪbd kəʊd/

US /ˌædˈlɪbd koʊd/

Code that someone makes up quickly on the spot without planning it first.

The game jam team shipped ad-libbedcode that somehow worked on the first try.

SYNONYMS

improvised code off-the-cuff code spur-of-the-moment code winged code

RELATED WORDS

spaghetti code hack prototype hotfix scripting

OTHER MEANINGS

2. Programming written live during a demo or talk instead of being prepared in advance.

His conference talk was mostly ad-libbedcode typed in front of the audience.

3. A quick patch added in a hurry to fix an urgent problem.

The midnight outage was solved with a bit of ad-libbedcode.

4. Code produced without a design document or tests, relying on intuition.

Reviewers flagged the ad-libbedcode in the payment module.

5. The act of writing code spontaneously rather than following a plan.

Ad-libbedcode got them through the deadline, but cleanup took weeks.