Replacing Software Like a Parasitic Plant

Engineers use the strangler fig pattern to replace old software by slowly growing new code around the old system. Much like the namesake tree, the new code eventually eclipses the legacy system until it can be safely removed.

This clever method avoids the massive risks of rebuilding an entire application from scratch. Instead, developers gradually migrate features one by one, allowing the business to stay online during the transition. It is often compared to the Ship of Theseus paradox, as the original software is eventually replaced piece by piece until nothing of the old system remains.