Writing clean code is not an easy task, and it requires experimenting with different techniques and practices.
As a developer, it’s important to write clean code.
After listing some of the benefits of writing clean code, here are six tips that developers can use to write clean code.
Benefits of writing clean code
Let’s start with some of the benefits of writing clean code. One of the main benefits is that clean code reduces the time spent reading and understanding the code. Messy code can slow down any developer and make the developer’s job more difficult. The messier the code, the more time it takes developers to fully understand it in order to use it. Also, if the code is too messy, a developer might decide to stop reading it and start from scratch.
1. Easier to start and continue a project
Let’s start with a simple example. Suppose we go back to a previous project after a long period of time, maybe a client contacted us to do another job during that time. Now, imagine how bad and messy it would have been after you first saw the code if you hadn’t written clean code. Also, you can see how difficult it is to start coding from where you left off.
Therefore, we must now spend more time on the project because we need to understand the code we wrote earlier. This could have been avoided if you had written clean code from the start, but now you have to pay the price. Also, the old code is so messy and bad that we might decide to start from scratch. Customers may not be happy to hear the news.
Clean code, on the other hand, usually doesn’t have this problem. Assuming that the previous example was the other way around, and that the previous code was clean and elegant, how long did it take to understand it? It might only take a few minutes of reading code to understand how everything works, and we’ve probably been writing it for a while, so the effort in this case will be significantly less than in the first case, and the customer won’t care too much.
This is the first benefit of writing clean code, and it applies not only to your own projects, but also to the work of other developers. Clean code can get things started faster, and no one needs to spend hours studying the code. Instead, we can just get to work.
2. Conducive to new employee training
Another benefit of writing clean code, closely related to the first, is that it makes it easier and faster for new employees to use the code. Let’s say we need to hire a developer, how long will it take her to understand the code and learn to use it? It depends, of course. If our code is messy and poorly written, she needs to spend more time learning the code. On the other hand, if the code is clean, easy to read, and simple to understand, she will be able to start her work faster.
Some might say that this is not a problem because other developers can help her. Of course this is true, but help should only be given for a short period of time, two or three times or a day or two, not two or three weeks. So the goal of hiring another developer was to speed up our work, not slow it down, and not spend more time helping her learn how to use the code.
When we strive to write clean code, others will learn from us and it will be easier to write clean code. Of course, you still need to set aside some time to help each new developer understand and understand the code. Of course, I mean days, not weeks. Furthermore, clean code will help the team bring in more developers and help them understand the code at the same time. Simply put, the cleaner the code, the easier it is to interpret and the less likely it is to be misunderstood.
3. It’s easier to follow coding patterns
One thing to keep in mind is that it’s one thing to understand and learn how to use code. However, this is just the beginning, and we need to ensure that developers are willing to follow our coding patterns. Of course, this goal is easier to achieve with clean code than with messy code. This is important because the team not only wants to write clean code, but it also wants to keep it that way, which is also a long-term consideration.
Also, what if developers don’t follow current coding patterns? This problem usually resolves itself. Suppose you have a group of people working on the same code base, and one of them starts to deviate from the standard style. The rest of the team then pushes the developer to follow the standards. She’ll take advice because she doesn’t want to leave the team.
In other cases, developers convince the rest of the team to adopt and follow their coding patterns. It’s all well and good if developers come up with cleaner coding patterns that lead to better results. Indeed, just because you write and keep your code clean doesn’t mean you should ignore any opportunities to improve it, and I think you should always be open to improvements in your current practices and look for opportunities for improvement.
So, if a developer deviates from the current model, and her model is better, then it might be more appropriate for us to make a change. So we should not ignore the coding practices of others before trying other patterns, and we should continue to look for room for improvement. And finally, the third case. The developer decided neither to adopt our practice nor to convince us to adopt hers. Because she’s going to decide to leave the team.
skills
In addition to discussing the benefits of writing clean code, it’s time to learn some tricks to help us achieve this goal. As you’ll see below, clean code contains and follows several methods. These methods make code cleaner, easier to read, easier to understand, and simpler. Of course it is not necessary to implement all methods, and implementing and following one or two measures is enough to bring positive results.
1. Write readable code
Yes, the code we write will be machine-interpreted, but that doesn’t mean we should ignore the readability and understandability of our code, because someone else will always use it in the future. Even if we make our code inaccessible to others, we can pick it up ourselves in the future. For these reasons, it’s in our own interest to make code easy to read and understand. So how do you do that?
The easiest way to do this is to use Spaces. You can shrink your code before you release it, but it doesn’t have to look miniaturized. Instead, you can use indentation, line breaks, and blank lines to make your code structure more readable. When you decide to go this way, the readability and understandability of your code increases dramatically. Then, looking at the code makes it easier to understand
2. Use meaningful names for variables, functions and methods
Take a look at the second tip, which will help you write understandable and clean code. This technique is all about meaningful names for variables, functions, and methods. What does “meaningful” mean? Meaningful names are names that are descriptive enough, not just variables, functions, or methods that can be understood by the authors themselves. In other words, the name itself should be defined according to the content and usage of the variable, function, or method.
It is important to note, however, that using descriptive names does not mean that you can use as many characters as you like. A good rule of thumb is to limit your name to three or four words. If you need more than four words, the function or method is doing a lot of work at once, so you should simplify the code and use only the necessary characters.
3. Make a function or method perform only one task
When you start writing code, the functions and methods you use look like a Swiss Army knife that can handle almost anything, but it’s hard to find a good name. In addition, few people except the writers know what functions are used for and how to use them. Sometimes I have these problems, and I’m not very good at it.
Then, someone came up with a good idea: make each function or method perform only one task. This simple tip changed everything and helped me write clean code, at least cleaner than before. Since then, other people have finally been able to understand my code, or they don’t have to spend as much time reading it as before, and the features and methods have become more understandable. The same input always produces the same output, and naming becomes much easier.
If you have trouble finding descriptive names for functions and methods, or need to write lengthy instructions that others can use, consider this recommendation to make each function or method perform only one task. If your features and methods seem like a Swiss Army knife that can do anything, then do it. Trust me, versatility is not an advantage. This is a pretty unfavorable situation that could backfire.
Note: This practice of having each function or method perform only one task is called preserving pure functions. This coding practice comes from the concept of functional programming.
4. Easier to follow coding patterns
No matter how hard you try to come up with meaningful names for variables, functions, and methods, the code will never be completely clear and understandable, and there will still be ideas that need to be explained. The problem may not be that the code is difficult to understand or use; rather, others may not understand why the function or method was implemented, or why it was created in a particular way. This means that the purpose of creating a function or method is not clear.
Sometimes you may have to take an unconventional approach to a problem because there is not enough time to come up with a better solution, which is also difficult to explain in code. So, code comments can help solve this problem and help explain to others why the method was written and why it was written in a particular way, so that others don’t have to guess what the purpose of these methods or functions is.
More importantly, when we use annotations to explain the code, someone else may find a better way to solve the problem and improve the code. This is possible because they know what the problem is and what the desired outcome is. Without this information, it’s hard for others to create a better solution, or they may not try because they don’t see the need to modify the creator’s own ideas.
So whenever you decide to use some quick fix or unconventional method, use a comment to explain why you’re doing it. It is best to explain with a line or two of comment, and not to let others guess.
That said, we should use comments only when necessary, not to explain bad code. Writing endless comments will not help you turn bad code into clean code. If the code is bad, fix it by improving the code, not adding instructions on how to use it. Writing clean code is more important.
5. Keep your code style consistent
When we have a particular coding style or style that we like, we use it everywhere. But it’s not a good idea to use different coding styles for different projects, and it’s not a natural way to go back to previous code, so it still takes some time to understand the coding styles used in your projects.
A better approach is to choose one coding approach and stick to it for all your projects. This makes it easier to go back to the old code. Of course, experimenting with new ways of coding is a good thing, and it helps us find better ways to do our work. But it’s better to try different coding styles on different experimental projects or exercises than on the main project.
In addition, when we do decide to experiment, we should try many times and take the time to do it thoroughly. You should only do it if you really believe you like it and are happy with it. And when you decide to do that, it’s best to apply it to all your projects. Yes, it takes time, and it forces us to think properly.
6. Review your code
This is the last tip. It’s not just about writing clean code, it’s about doing the last thing, which is maintaining clean code. We should periodically review the code and try to improve it. Otherwise, if we don’t review and update our old code, it will quickly become obsolete, just like our devices. If you want to keep your code in good shape, you need to update it regularly.
The same is true for code you use every day. Code can become more complex and messy, so avoid this and keep your code clean. The only way to do this is to periodically review our code. In other words, we need to keep it. This may not be necessary for projects that no longer care about in the future, but for others, maintaining the code is part of the job.
The last
These six practices may not be the most influential or the most important, but they are the ones that experienced developers mention the most, which is why I chose them. I hope these practices or techniques will help you get started writing clean code.
Now, like all things, the most important thing is to get started. So pick at least one technique and give it a try.
As a front-end engineer for five years, many people ask me privately, how should I learn the front-end in 2020? Is there any method?
Yes, at the beginning of the year I spent more than a month to sort out the learning materials, hoping to help those who want to learn the front end, but do not know how to start learning friends.