What is clean code

Coding is one of the important phases in software development. It involves a software developer to turn a system design into a computer programme or source code. But it also requires the developer to make sure to provide quality code in addition to the final result. The secret is to have high-quality, well-designed code that is both usable and maintained. So, then what is a good quality code?

According to Martin Fowler, a software developer “Any fool can write code that a computer can understand. Good programmers write code that humans can understand”.

Clean code is a reader-focused development style that produces software that's easy to write, read and maintain. The skill is in writing a program that humans can understand.

Additionally, it is not enough to simply write good code once. Writing code is a continuous process. We need to upgrade it with time to keep it clean and prevent it from getting rot. Code that is written once should convey its intent precisely so that enhancement of the code can be easily done.

According to another software Developer, Robert C. Martin “Clean code is simple and direct. Clean code reads like well-written prose. Clean code never obscures the designer’s intent but rather is full of crisp abstractions and straightforward lines of control”.

If we all checked back in on our code and made it a little cleaner than when we last checked it out, our code would simply not rot. The cleanup does not have to be extensive. Change one variable name for the better, break up one overly large function, remove one small bit of duplication, and clean up one composite if statement.

Importance of writing clean code

Clean code principles lead to source code that's highly modular and thus easier to read and test. Clean code is easy to read and Clean code principles lead to a source code that's highly modular and thus easier to read and test. Writing clean code is important because it allows you to communicate clearly with the person who will be working with what you've written. Returning to previously written code and understanding what it does is critical, especially in the world of software development. The more declarative the code, the better it communicates and the easier it is to troubleshoot when problems arise. You will become a better teammate, employee, and developer if you write clean code.

If code is written in a readable manner that is simple and understandable, maintaining and extending is easy as well as debugging and extending the code functionality also becomes simple. Breaking the larger code into smaller code helps also in modular programming and the cost of maintenance will be reduced.

Advantages of writing clean code

It is simple to read and understand
It brings down the cost of maintenance.
It makes extending existing code much easier