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What does "dead code" mean in programming?
dead code is one of the most common terms in software development. This guide explains what it means, how it is used in practice, and why it matters, with real examples from the developer world.
Definition
Code that is never executed: unreachable branches, unused functions, commented-out blocks left behind, and variables that are assigned but never read. Dead code adds noise and maintenance burden without providing any value.
Example
"The linter flagged 40 dead code warnings in the auth module — functions that were never called after last year's refactor."
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