single-or-array-pattern

To accept either a single item or an array, you can normalize the input by converting single values into arrays internally. This standardizes parameter types, allowing a single implementation path to process one or many inputs uniformly without code duplication.

The single or array pattern is a design technique for API design where functions accept flexible input types. It normalizes single items and arrays into a uniform array format internally, simplifying caller syntax and standardizing internal logic paths for batch processing.

Function logic duplicates because separate code branches are written for single and array inputs. You can eliminate this by normalizing inputs to arrays initially, allowing a unified logic path to process both input types efficiently without branching.

Yes, this input normalization pattern is applicable to CRUD operations, batch processing, and factory functions. It standardizes parameter types to handle flexible input requirements, allowing the same function to process individual records or batches.

The best way to standardize flexible inputs is to normalize parameters by wrapping single items into arrays immediately upon function entry. This reduces code duplication and ensures uniform processing logic regardless of the original input shape.