🔍 Duplicate Code Pattern: EvaluationResult Default Initialization

Part of duplicate code analysis: #1719

Summary

Three methods in internal/difc/evaluator.go (Evaluate, evaluateRead, evaluateWrite) each contain an identical 5-line block to initialize a default-allow EvaluationResult. Extracting this to a factory function would reduce duplication and ensure consistent defaults.

Duplication Details

Pattern: Identical EvaluationResult Struct Literal

• Severity: Medium

• Occurrences: 3 instances

• Locations:

  • internal/difc/evaluator.go (lines ~167–171) — Evaluate method
  • internal/difc/evaluator.go (lines ~205–209) — evaluateRead method
  • internal/difc/evaluator.go (lines ~279–283) — evaluateWrite method

• Code Sample:

// Repeated verbatim in all 3 methods:
result := &EvaluationResult{
    Decision:        AccessAllow,
    SecrecyToAdd:    []Tag{},
    IntegrityToDrop: []Tag{},
}

Impact Analysis

• Maintainability: If EvaluationResult gains a new field with a non-zero default, all 3 sites must be updated
• Bug Risk: Low currently, but grows as the struct evolves
• Code Bloat: 15 lines reducible to 3 call sites + 5-line factory

Refactoring Recommendations

1. Extract a factory function

   // newAllowResult returns an EvaluationResult with AccessAllow decision and empty tag slices.
   func newAllowResult() *EvaluationResult {
       return &EvaluationResult{
           Decision:        AccessAllow,
           SecrecyToAdd:    []Tag{},
           IntegrityToDrop: []Tag{},
       }
   }

   Replace all 3 struct literals with result := newAllowResult().
   • Estimated effort: 15 minutes
   • Benefits: Single authoritative default; easy to add new fields

Implementation Checklist

• Add newAllowResult() private factory in evaluator.go
• Replace 3 struct literals with factory calls
• Run make test-unit to confirm no regressions

Parent Issue

See parent analysis report: #1719
Related to #1719

Generated by Duplicate Code Detector · ◷

• expires on Mar 17, 2026, 2:56 AM UTC