How a Dispatch Table Pattern Can Replace Messy If-Else Chains in Code

A software developer shared how repeated copy-paste logic in a large if-else chain handling third-party API payloads prompted a refactoring exercise. The codebase processed different JSON event types — orders, refunds, and shipments — using nearly identical logic duplicated across each conditional branch. The developer identified that each branch shared the same function signature, making it a classic candidate for a dispatch table or strategy pattern. By mapping event type discriminators to individual handler functions stored in a plain object, the sprawling conditional block could be replaced with a single lookup. The approach improves testability, reduces duplication, and makes adding new event types significantly simpler.