Design Patterns · Junior · Question 55 of 75

How can a long `switch` that maps a status to a label be simplified?

const labels = { draft: 'Draft', published: 'Published', archived: 'Archived' };
const label = labels[status];

✓Correct answer: Replace it with a lookup object (or polymorphism when behavior differs)
2Wrap it in a try/catch
3Split it into several if statements

Explanation

Data-driven mapping is shorter and easier to extend. When each case has different behavior, objects with a shared method (polymorphism) fit better.

Further reading

Refactoring.Guru: Replace Conditional with Polymorphism ↗

Test yourself

Take the Design Patterns · Junior quiz: questions and options are shuffled, and you get a review of your mistakes at the end.