---
id: wiki-2026-0508-replace-conditional-with-polymor
title: Replace Conditional with Polymorphism (조건식을 다형성으로 바꾸기)
category: 10_Wiki/Topics
status: verified
canonical_id: self
aliases: [Replace Conditional with Polymorphism, RCwP, Polymorphism Refactoring]
duplicate_of: none
source_trust_level: A
confidence_score: 0.9
verification_status: applied
tags: [refactoring, oop, design-pattern, fowler]
raw_sources: []
last_reinforced: 2026-05-10
github_commit: pending
tech_stack:
  language: TypeScript
  framework: none
---

# Replace Conditional with Polymorphism (조건식을 다형성으로 바꾸기)

## 매 한 줄
> **"매 type-discriminating switch/if-chain 을 매 polymorphic dispatch 로 교체"**. Fowler *Refactoring 2e* (2018) Ch.10. 매 type code 가 add 시마다 매 switch 들 모두 수정 필요한 shotgun surgery 의 표준 처방. 매 modern alternative — discriminated union + exhaustiveness, strategy map, pattern matching — 도 같은 본질을 공유한다.

## 매 핵심

### 매 trigger smell
- 매 동일 `switch (kind)` 가 codebase 여러 곳에 반복.
- 매 새 type 추가가 매 N 곳의 switch 수정 강제.
- 매 default branch 가 silently incorrect.

### 매 mechanics (Fowler)
1. 매 self-encapsulating type 추출 (subclass 또는 strategy).
2. 매 switch 한 case 를 method override 로 이동 (test 유지).
3. 매 모든 case 이동 후 매 base method 를 abstract 화.
4. 매 caller 에서 매 conditional 제거.

### 매 응용
1. Tax calculation: country-specific subclass.
2. Bird movement: Penguin/Parrot/Owl `getSpeed()` override.
3. Payment processor: Stripe/Toss/PayPal strategy.
4. AST visitor: node type 별 dispatch.

## 💻 패턴

### Before: type-code switch
```typescript
type Bird = {
  kind: 'penguin' | 'parrot' | 'owl';
  voltage?: number;
  isNailed?: boolean;
  numberOfCoconuts?: number;
};

function plumage(bird: Bird): string {
  switch (bird.kind) {
    case 'penguin': return 'average';
    case 'parrot': return bird.isNailed ? 'tattered' : 'beautiful';
    case 'owl': return 'attentive';
  }
}

function airSpeed(bird: Bird): number {
  switch (bird.kind) {
    case 'penguin': return 50;
    case 'parrot': return 80 - 5 * (bird.voltage ?? 0);
    case 'owl': return 12 * (bird.numberOfCoconuts ?? 0);
  }
}
```

### After: polymorphism (classes)
```typescript
abstract class Bird {
  abstract get plumage(): string;
  abstract get airSpeed(): number;
}

class Penguin extends Bird {
  get plumage() { return 'average'; }
  get airSpeed() { return 50; }
}

class Parrot extends Bird {
  constructor(private voltage = 0, private nailed = false) { super(); }
  get plumage() { return this.nailed ? 'tattered' : 'beautiful'; }
  get airSpeed() { return 80 - 5 * this.voltage; }
}

class Owl extends Bird {
  constructor(private coconuts = 0) { super(); }
  get plumage() { return 'attentive'; }
  get airSpeed() { return 12 * this.coconuts; }
}
```

### Modern alternative: discriminated union + exhaustiveness
```typescript
type Bird =
  | { kind: 'penguin' }
  | { kind: 'parrot'; voltage: number; nailed: boolean }
  | { kind: 'owl'; coconuts: number };

function airSpeed(b: Bird): number {
  switch (b.kind) {
    case 'penguin': return 50;
    case 'parrot':  return 80 - 5 * b.voltage;
    case 'owl':     return 12 * b.coconuts;
    default: {
      const _exhaustive: never = b;
      return _exhaustive;
    }
  }
}
```

### Strategy map (data-driven dispatch)
```typescript
const speedStrategies = {
  penguin: () => 50,
  parrot:  (b: { voltage: number }) => 80 - 5 * b.voltage,
  owl:     (b: { coconuts: number }) => 12 * b.coconuts,
} as const;

function airSpeed<K extends keyof typeof speedStrategies>(
  kind: K,
  data: Parameters<typeof speedStrategies[K]>[0],
): number {
  return (speedStrategies[kind] as any)(data);
}
```

### Visitor (when ops > types)
```typescript
interface Visitor<R> {
  penguin(): R;
  parrot(b: { voltage: number; nailed: boolean }): R;
  owl(b: { coconuts: number }): R;
}

class SpeedVisitor implements Visitor<number> {
  penguin() { return 50; }
  parrot(b: { voltage: number }) { return 80 - 5 * b.voltage; }
  owl(b: { coconuts: number }) { return 12 * b.coconuts; }
}
```

### Rust pattern matching (sister technique)
```rust
enum Bird {
    Penguin,
    Parrot { voltage: u32, nailed: bool },
    Owl { coconuts: u32 },
}

impl Bird {
    fn air_speed(&self) -> u32 {
        match self {
            Bird::Penguin => 50,
            Bird::Parrot { voltage, .. } => 80 - 5 * voltage,
            Bird::Owl { coconuts } => 12 * coconuts,
        }
    }
}
```

## 매 결정 기준
| 상황 | Approach |
|---|---|
| OOP language, type 자주 add | Subclass polymorphism |
| FP/TS, op 자주 add | Discriminated union + match (expression problem) |
| 매 dispatch table 단순 | Strategy map (object literal) |
| Op 많고 type 안정적 | Visitor |
| Type 많고 op 안정적 | Sum type + match |
| 매 single-use switch | 매 그대로 두기 — refactor cost > benefit |

**기본값**: TS — discriminated union + exhaustive switch. OOP-heavy domain — subclass.

## 🔗 Graph
- 부모: [[Refactoring_Best_Practices]] · [[Polymorphism]]
- 변형: [[Visitor Pattern]]
- 응용: [[Discriminated Union]] · [[Pattern Matching]] · [[Open-Closed Principle]]

## 🤖 LLM 활용
**언제**: 매 codebase 에 매 동일 switch 가 3+ 곳, 매 새 type 추가가 자주, 매 OCP 위반 가시.
**언제 X**: 매 switch 1 곳, 매 type 안정적, 매 small dispatch — over-engineering.

## ❌ 안티패턴
- **Inheritance for everything**: 매 deep hierarchy — composition + interface 권장.
- **Polymorphism without exhaustiveness**: 매 default branch 가 silent bug 숨김.
- **Anemic subclass**: 매 method 1개 차이 — strategy 가 더 적합.
- **Refactor without tests**: 매 behavior preservation 의 보증 없음.
- **`instanceof` chain**: 매 polymorphism 의 antithesis — 매 새 switch 의 변종.

## 🧪 검증 / 중복
- Verified: Fowler *Refactoring 2e* (2018) Ch.10 "Replace Conditional with Polymorphism"; refactoring.com.
- 신뢰도 A.

## 🕓 Changelog
| 날짜 | 변경 |
|---|---|
| 2026-05-08 | Phase 1 |
| 2026-05-10 | Manual cleanup — Fowler mechanics + modern union/strategy/visitor variants |
