elixir-antipatterns

Anti-patterns in Elixir/Phoenix include improper error handling with nils or uncaught exceptions, poor separation of concerns in contexts and views, inefficient Ecto queries without preloading, and weak testing practices. This skill codifies these pitfalls with actionable fixes to improve maintainability and scalability.

Elixir error handling should use explicit success/failure patterns instead of returning nils or raising exceptions. This discipline clarifies control flow, makes failures predictable, and simplifies downstream logic in Phoenix contexts and Ecto operations.

Phoenix contexts enforce separation of concerns by isolating business logic from views and routes. Proper context design keeps views thin, centralizes domain logic, and prevents tight coupling—key anti-patterns this skill addresses during refactoring and code review.

Optimize Ecto queries by using preload strategies to avoid N+1 queries, adding database indexes on frequently queried columns, and structuring queries for efficiency. This skill guides these practices to prevent performance degradation as your application scales.

Effective Elixir testing emphasizes isolated assertions, predictable APIs, and focused test cases. This skill promotes testing discipline to catch bugs early and maintain confidence during refactoring of Phoenix, Ecto, and LiveView code.