In our company, Visian Systems, write clean code is what makes us stand up in the software development market. But this is not something you are born with, it’s a skill and a habit you develop over the years. For this reason, we’d like to share a few tips that helped us to improve our code-writing process.
By having more clean writing of your code, you will notice positive effects in your ongoing project right away. Moreover, you will also notice how enhancing code helps you maintain systems better and solve issues quicker. It’s not a matter of only writing a code that works, but also making sure it’s readable, consistent and easy for yourself and other developers maintaining over the course of the entire project’s life.
Don’t oversimplify names
An experienced software engineer knows that you don’t write code only for the compiler. You also does it for the next person who will have to work and maintain your code. Every system will have tons of variables, classes and functions so we need to guarantee that whoever reads the code, even yourself, will be able to understand its logic.
By using more descriptive names instead of acronyms or shortened words you are helping everyone in a long term. Your goal is to make it easier for developers to identify the purpose of every single element in the code. Name your variables, classes and functions in a way that you can instantly recognize their meaning.
Keep a consistent coding style
One of the main keys to write clean code is consistency. Developers have their own coding style and there isn’t a superior or the “right one”. So the importance is not to create the definitive style, but to keep yours consistent in your entire document.
If you are using a specific name for a function, don’t change it in another part of the code or the system. Not even for a synonym. This will maintain a clear understanding of the system logic. And if you start working in someone else code, adapt yourself to their style. Don’t try to impose your way. Instead, look for common ground so everyone can work the best together and understand each others work.
Pay attention to readability
Readability is a term we often associate with articles, blog posts, and written content in general. But coding is also a form of communication between developers so you have to consider how readable your code is.
As we said in the first topic, you should always think about the next person who will read your code. If even you can’t quickly understand your logic past a few months, you should start focusing on writing cleaner/shorter code rather than a clever/complex one.
Remember: an easy-to-understand code is also an easy-to-maintain code.
Learn the idioms
Learning a programming language is no different from learning a spoken language. We mean this in the sense you should aim to achieve fluency with it. Also, every programming language has its nuances and specific idioms. So for the goal to write clean code, you will also have to deep-dive into the language used.
As more proficient you become in a programming language, it will be easier to write cleaner versions of your code and improve its readability by other developers. And don’t hesitate to consult your co-workers about the specifics of each language. You can always find valuable insight to enhance your coding skills by being more cooperative.
Review, refactor and delete unnecessary code
Sometimes you may find yourself in the position of not adding new lines to an existing code but instead deleting older blocks. This is also a key aspect to maintain clear coding in your system. If there is a new version of the code that works, there is no point in keeping the older version in your files.
This doesn’t seem to be a big issue at first, but in the long run, you will accumulate a lot of unused and unnecessary lines of code. Not only they will be occupying valuable space, but they will also clutter up your documents and make it more difficult to read the code.
Like texts, codes also need to be edited after they are written. The term used for this process is refactoring. It is another essential habit to adopt while reviewing somebody else’s code. After making sure the code is working you should give it a second and maybe third view to identifying parts you can shorten without changing the functionality. Even the small bits are worth paying attention to.
Always add comments
Last but not least, comments will be the strongest ally for you in cleaning your code. As we emphasized in this article, coding is not a one-man type of job. It’s a cooperative effort so you have to keep in mind that at any time somebody else will need to read, enhance and/or maintain your code. So leaving comments will help future developers to understand the logic of the system.
But don’t overdo it! Not every single line or block of code needs to be explained and to have a comment attached to it. This will make a mess and even harder to understand the meaning of your code. The same logic you use to write clean code should be used to write comments.
When writing a comment you should consider highlighting why this particular code needs to be included and not exactly how it works. This works even for you to remember your logic after a long time has passed.
Conclusion
Writing clean code saves time in understanding the logic, solving issues and maintaining the system for everyone involved in the project and whoever joins it in the future. This is a skill you will develop over time as a developer, but you can start improving right now.
Using descriptive names, keeping a consistent style, deleting unnecessary code, commenting, etc. These are only a few steps you can take to start enhancing your code and the benefits are noticeable. We hope these pieces of advice help you to grow as a developer. And if you have any other tips for us or other developers, please, in the comments below or contact us. You can also check our website.
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