spaghetti code

Synonyms

kangaroo code

A pejorative term for code with a complex and tangled control structure, especially one using many GOTOs, exceptions, or other "unstructured" branching constructs. The synonym "kangaroo code" has been reported, doubtless because such code has so many jumps in it.

Object-oriented programming may also feature spaghetti inheritance or spaghetti with meatballs code.

[Jargon File]