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Loop-switch sequence

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A loop-switch sequence[1] (also known as the for-case paradigm[2] or Anti-Duff's Device) is a programming antipattern where a clear set of steps is implemented as a switch-within-a-loop. The loop-switch sequence is a specific derivative of spaghetti code.

It is not necessarily an antipattern to use a switch statement within a loop—it is only considered incorrect when used to model a known sequence of steps. The most common example of the correct use of a switch within a loop is an inversion of control such as an event handler. In event handler loops, the sequence of events is not known at compile-time, so the repeated switch is both necessary and correct (see event-driven programming, event loop and event-driven finite state machine).

This is not a performance antipattern, though it may lead to an inconsequential performance penalty due to the lack of an unrolled loop. Rather, it is a clarity antipattern, as in any non-trivial example it is much more difficult to decipher the intent and actual function of the code than the more straightforward refactored solution.

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