See all glossary termsBoilerplate code refers to chunks of code you need to copy and paste in multiple places with minimal changes. It's the repetitive, standardized pieces of code that you have to write over and over, even though it doesn't add much unique value to your project. Think of it as the necessary but sometimes tedious foundation work before you get to the interesting parts.
In game development, you'll run into boilerplate code all the time. State machines are a perfect example - when you implement them for different game entities, you end up writing very similar class structures and transition methods for your player, enemies, and other objects. The core structure stays almost the same, while only the specific behaviors change. This especially happens with design patterns, which are common patterns and structures that you can use to help solve specific problems in your codebase.
Godot does offer many tools to help reduce or avoid this repetition. For example, signals are Godot's built-in version of a pattern named "Observer," and the AnimationTree node can handle some state machine functionality for you. Because these tools come pre-built into the engine, you can use them without having to write boilerplate code yourself. However, these tools may not cover every specific case you encounter, and you might still need to write some boilerplate code depending on your game's unique needs.