1 files changed, 61 insertions, 3 deletions

diff --git a/docs/dev/style.md b/docs/dev/style.md
index e4a1672ca..48ce4b92a 100644
--- a/docs/dev/style.md
+++ b/docs/dev/style.md
@@ -55,9 +55,9 @@ https://www.tedinski.com/2018/02/06/system-boundaries.html
 We try to be very conservative with usage of crates.io dependencies.
 Don't use small "helper" crates (exception: `itertools` is allowed).
 If there's some general reusable bit of code you need, consider adding it to the `stdx` crate.
+A useful exercise is to read Cargo.lock and see if some of the *transitive* dependencies do not make sense for rust-analyzer.
 
-**Rationale:** keep compile times low, create ecosystem pressure for faster
-compiles, reduce the number of things which might break.
+**Rationale:** keep compile times low, create ecosystem pressure for faster compiles, reduce the number of things which might break.
 
 ## Commit Style
 
@@ -806,9 +806,67 @@ if let Some(expected_type) = ctx.expected_type.as_ref() {
 }
 ```
 
-**Rational:** `match` is almost always more compact.
+**Rationale:** `match` is almost always more compact.
 The `else` branch can get a more precise pattern: `None` or `Err(_)` instead of `_`.
 
+## Helper Functions
+
+Avoid creating singe-use helper functions:
+
+```rust
+// GOOD
+let buf = {
+    let mut buf = get_empty_buf(&mut arena);
+    buf.add_item(item);
+    buf
+};
+
+// BAD
+
+let buf = prepare_buf(&mut arena, item);
+
+...
+
+fn prepare_buf(arena: &mut Arena, item: Item) -> ItemBuf {
+    let mut res = get_empty_buf(&mut arena);
+    res.add_item(item);
+    res
+}
+```
+
+Exception: if you want to make use of `return` or `?`.
+
+**Rationale:** single-use functions change frequently, adding or removing parameters adds churn.
+A block serves just as well to delineate a bit of logic, but has access to all the context.
+Re-using originally single-purpose function often leads to bad coupling.
+
+## Helper Variables
+
+Introduce helper variables freely, especially for multiline conditions:
+
+```rust
+// GOOD
+let rustfmt_not_installed =
+    captured_stderr.contains("not installed") || captured_stderr.contains("not available");
+
+match output.status.code() {
+    Some(1) if !rustfmt_not_installed => Ok(None),
+    _ => Err(format_err!("rustfmt failed:\n{}", captured_stderr)),
+};
+
+// BAD
+match output.status.code() {
+    Some(1)
+        if !captured_stderr.contains("not installed")
+           && !captured_stderr.contains("not available") => Ok(None),
+    _ => Err(format_err!("rustfmt failed:\n{}", captured_stderr)),
+};
+```
+
+**Rationale:** like blocks, single-use variables are a cognitively cheap abstraction, as they have access to all the context.
+Extra variables help during debugging, they make it easy to print/view important intermediate results.
+Giving a name to a condition in `if` expression often improves clarity and leads to a nicer formatted code.
+
 ## Token names
 
 Use `T![foo]` instead of `SyntaxKind::FOO_KW`.