Clean Code

Before I begin my article, I’d like to make a small recommendation. I believe every developer should read “Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship” written by Robert Cecil Martin. We’ll be referring to him quite a bit throughout this article anyway.

What Is Clean Code?

Robert Cecil Martin’s definition of clean code:

Clean code is a concept that goes beyond being simply stable code. The main goal of clean code is to improve readability and enable a team or developer to perform their tasks in the best possible way. In short, for me, clean code means proper naming, dynamic coding, and code that includes testing. Of course, it’s not just my opinion that matters so let’s look at the actual definition. :)

Characteristics of Clean Code

Clear and Descriptive

As the name suggests, clean code should be understandable. Variable names, function names, class names, and the overall structure should be clear and meaningful. If a comment is needed to explain what the code does, then the code probably needs to be rewritten.

Modular

The code should be divided into dynamic and independent modules. Each module should fulfill a single responsibility. Rather than writing a long, complex function, it’s more appropriate to break it into small, reusable functions that together perform the larger task.

Reusability

Clean code should be reusable. It should be easy to use the same or similar functionality in different projects without rewriting it.

Testability

Clean code should be easily testable. This simplifies debugging and improves software reliability. Writing unit tests during development helps improve project quality and optimize the development process.

Efficient and Effective

Code should run efficiently and effectively. Unnecessary complexity should be avoided, and performance should be taken into consideration.

I will share two different examples one of clean code and one of bad code. These examples will help us better understand the importance of writing clean code.

As you will see, the bad code example is hard to read and complicated.

In the clean code example, even someone without programming knowledge can understand the function just by reading its name.

Principles of Writing Clean Code

I’ll try to explain the subtopics simply, but I recommend researching them in more depth for a better understanding.

DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself)

Avoid repeating the same code. Create reusable functions and modules to reduce duplication.

KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid)

Code should be as simple and understandable as possible. Avoid overly complex solutions and focus only on the necessary level of complexity.

YAGNI (You Ain’t Gonna Need It)

Avoid writing code now for features you think might be needed in the future. Focus only on current needs.

Open/Closed Principle

Classes should be open for extension but closed for modification you should be able to add new behaviors without changing existing code.

The Importance of Clean Code

Team Collaboration: Clean code makes it easier to collaborate within a team. Readable and understandable code allows team members to easily comprehend and build on each other’s work.

Ease of Maintenance: Clean code simplifies maintenance. Making changes or debugging becomes quicker and less error-prone when the code is clean.

Project Continuity: Adding new features or making changes is much smoother when working with a clean codebase.

Is Writing Comments Important?

Comments play an important role in a project; however, if you constantly need to add comments to explain what a variable, function, or class does, it likely means the code is poorly written. Comments should be reserved for complex algorithmic scenarios.

In short, trying to explain code through constant comments is usually a sign of poor coding and may result in wasted time during development.

Conclusion

Writing clean code is an art in software development. A good developer goes beyond simply writing functional code and creates clean, understandable, and maintainable code that improves software quality. Adopting the principles of clean code is the key to progressing successfully and effectively throughout the development process.

Thank you for reading my post, I hope it was helpful to you 🙂

Good luck with your work…