from
The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)
case and paste
clone-and-hack coding
<programming> (From "{cut and paste}") The addition of a new
{feature} to an existing system by selecting the code from an
existing feature and pasting it in with minor changes. This
usually results in gross violation of the fundamental
programming tenet, {Don't Repeat Yourself}.
Common in telephony circles because most operations in a
telephone switch are selected using "case" statements. Leads
to {software bloat}.
In some circles of {Emacs} users this is called "programming
by Meta-W", because Meta-W is the Emacs command for copying a
block of text to a {kill buffer} in preparation to pasting it
in elsewhere. The term is condescending, implying that the
programmer is acting mindlessly rather than thinking carefully
about what is required to integrate the code for two similar
cases.
At {DEC}, this is sometimes called "clone-and-hack" coding.
[{Jargon File}]
(1996-03-01)