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What makes a conditional a Strategy candidate?
Look at what the branches do, not how many there are. Strategy separates a family of algorithms behind a shared interface or callable boundary. The surrounding code—the context—delegates the work to whichever implementation the caller or policy selects.
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For example, road, walking, public-transit, and cycling directions are different algorithms for the same job: building a route. The route planner can delegate to the selected algorithm rather than containing every routing procedure itself. Refactoring Guru’s Strategy overview uses route planning to illustrate this fit.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsA conditional is more compelling to refactor when its cases keep growing, each case implements a distinct version of the same task, or changing one alternative repeatedly requires editing a central class. Those are signs that the variants may have their own cohesion and change independently—not proof that every conditional is a design flaw.
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Use these questions to decide
- What varies? If the branches are alternative algorithms for one job, Strategy may fit. If they perform unrelated actions, a strategy family may be the wrong abstraction.
- How often does it change? Frequent new variants or rule changes make separation more valuable. Stable cases usually do not justify extra indirection.
- Who should select the behavior? Strategy fits when a caller or policy chooses an implementation. If behavior follows the object’s internal condition and its transitions, consider State instead.
- Does the abstraction pay for itself? A named boundary should make the code easier to read, test, or extend. If it only adds classes and navigation, retain the simpler form.
- What does the language make simple? A function, lambda, or handler map can express a strategy boundary without a class hierarchy. Choose the smallest idiom that keeps the alternatives clear.
Shipping-cost example: when the branches start to earn their keep
Suppose an order calculates shipping cost with a conditional for each shipping type. With a small, stable set of types, the conditional may communicate the rule more directly. If shipping methods acquire independently changing calculation rules, each can instead implement the same calculation contract, and the order-processing code can delegate to the selected method.
The key change is not simply that another case appeared. It is that the alternatives are genuinely interchangeable implementations of one calculation and that separating them reduces the cost of change. Kai, in a DEV Community article published September 26, 2026, describes the trade-off this way: “A pattern is a trade, not a trophy.”
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When leaving the if/else is better
A couple of rarely changing algorithms often do not warrant interfaces and separate classes. Kai’s shipping example treats two or three stable types as a reasonable case for keeping the conditional; that is a rule of thumb, not a measured cutoff. Refactoring Guru likewise cautions against adding Strategy when a few algorithms rarely change.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchIf each branch merely supplies different parameters to the same operation, a conditional or a clearer set of methods may be simpler. Strategy is useful when the algorithm itself varies, not just because a decision exists in the code.
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Strategy, State, and polymorphism are not interchangeable fixes
Strategy versus State
Both patterns can delegate behavior to another object, but the reason for choosing that behavior differs. With Strategy, a caller or policy chooses among interchangeable algorithms. With State, the object’s internal state determines its behavior, and state transitions are part of the model. If a type code only chooses a calculation, Strategy may fit; if that value governs the object’s wider condition and several actions, State may be more appropriate. See Refactoring Guru’s State overview.
When polymorphism may fit instead
If conditionals based on object types or properties recur across methods and classes, the behavior may belong with the relevant types. Replacing a conditional with polymorphism is one possible refactoring for that situation. It is not a rule to eliminate every switch: when a switch only selects parameters for the same operation, polymorphism can add complexity without improving the design. Refactoring Guru’s discussion of switch statements describes these distinctions.
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A low-risk way to refactor
- Keep the direct conditional initially. Confirm that the cases represent alternatives for one identifiable job rather than unrelated operations.
- Name the varying work. Extract the algorithm into a method whose name and inputs make the shared job explicit.
- Separate implementations when change makes it worthwhile. Define a common interface or callable contract, move each algorithm variant behind it, and have the context delegate to the selected implementation.
- Keep selection visible. Make it easy to find where the caller or policy chooses a strategy; do not obscure the decision in an unnecessary layer.
This is a practical progression, not a formal standard. Stop at the simplest design that makes the variation understandable and manageable.
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