# Don't Repeat Yourself (DRY) principle The Don’t Repeat Yourself (DRY) principle is popular among software developers. The idea is simple: do not repeat yourself. That principle can and should be applied in various contexts: - Don’t duplicate files and folders unless you really need to - Document things once and share links instead of duplicating the information - Don’t repeat the same things to different people, try to get them in the same room and share the information once - Create a course to share the information once and let many people consume it - … There are countless examples where the DRY principle is useful. The goal of this principle is to: - Avoid inconsistencies - Increase clarity (i.e., I know this is what I’m looking for, this is the definitive source) - Remove doubts (e.g., should I update this or that? Is this the original or a copy?) There are cases why repetition or duplication are beneficial, but you should consider those as the exception rather than the rule. When thinking about teams and organizations, the DRY principle also applies. Oftentimes, independent groups that collaborate with each other tend to duplicate information without even realizing. Introducing shared/generalized spaces where information can be shared may help reduce the amount of duplication and inconsistencies. ## Related - [[SOLID Principles]] - [[Barrel Pattern]] - [[Keep It Simple Stupid (KISS)]] - [[You Aren't Gonna Need It (YAGNI)]] - [[Software Design Patterns for AI Skills and Agents]]