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What does "technical debt" mean in programming?
technical debt 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
The accumulated cost of shortcuts, quick fixes, and deferred work in a codebase. Like financial debt, it accrues interest — the longer it is left, the more expensive it becomes to address. Managed by allocating regular time for refactoring and improvement.
Example
"We skipped writing tests to meet the deadline — that technical debt will slow every future feature in this area."
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