Since the start of my programming career, I have always found it satisfying to rewrite my code in a way that does the same thing but is easier to understand. So, one might assume I am an avid supporter of \u201cclean code,\u201d which is actually not the case. There are quite a few benefits to writing clean code, but there are also some downsides that people forget to talk about. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Starting with the benefits of clean code, there are a few tactics one can use to make their code easier to read without much effort:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Avoid Deep Nesting <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Every time you nest something that is one extra step the person reading your code has to keep in their mind. If possible, try to collapse nested structures into one level. If the code has already been executed beyond a certain point, then the previous code no longer needs to be taken into consideration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Bad Example:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Better Approach:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Eliminate Code Duplication<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n While I do not think you have to extract everything, especially if you are only using it once, you should try to extract logic into reusable functions. By centralizing repeated logic, you can make code more maintainable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Use Meaningful Names<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Some programmers find coming up with good names challenging, but this does not mean we should give up entirely. When naming variables, you should at least use descriptive names that clearly convey purpose and intent. This makes code more self-documenting and can eliminate the need for some comments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Bad Example:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Better Example:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n I do not think clean code is a bad idea, but I have a few issues with it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n First, not everyone agrees on what \u201cclean code\u201d means. Does it mean having very short functions? Does it require continuously extracting functions to make them more abstract? Do functions really have to only do one thing? The answer to these questions, and many more, will change depending on who you ask. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, there are a few things I do not like that are sometimes considered \u201cclean code.\u201d First, the idea to keep functions extremely short (2-4 lines) is impractical and can lead to fragmented, hard-to-follow code. Excessive function granularity makes code harder to follow by forcing readers to jump between tiny functions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another issue is that premature optimization of code flexibility can lead to it becoming unnecessarily complex. I have noticed that writing clean code sometimes leads to over-engineering and feature overload. If you follow something like the DRY principle 100% of the time, it can lead to over-abstraction and hard-to-maintain code. People spend so much time turning a simple program into a framework-like program when they could have used the time better somewhere else. <\/p>\n\n\n\njava
function calculateTaxes(user, cart) {\n if (!isMaintenancePeriod) {\n if (user.isAuthenticated) {\n if (user.isAuthorized) {\n if (cart.total > 0) {\n \/\/ Deep nested logic<\/em>\n }\n }\n }\n }\n}\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\njava
function calculateTaxes(user, cart) {\n if (isMaintenancePeriod) return null;\n if (!isValidUser(user)) return null;\n if (!isValidCart(cart)) return null;\n \n return calculateRegionalTax(user, cart);\n}<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\npython
def calc(a, b):\n res = 0\n tmp = a\n for i in range(b):\n res += tmp\n return res\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\npython
def multiply(multiplicand, multiplier):\n product = 0\n currentValue = multiplicand\n for count in range(multiplier):\n product += currentValue\n return product\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\nWhere the Problems Start<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n