Five Simple Tips for Writing Cleaner Code

The article is devoted to fairly simple and obvious tips for writing clean code, but not everything is so simple!

Writing clean code is not an easy task. To achieve this goal, you need to learn a lot of different practices and view a variety of different tips. And the problem is just that there is so much practice and advice that you simply overload yourself with unnecessary, often useless, information. As a result, it is difficult for the developer to decide which practice or what advice to follow. Let's simplify the task. In this article, at the beginning, we will discuss the benefits of writing clean code. Then, we'll look at six tips or practices for writing clean code that are more popular with developers. Some of the tips were collected from our colleagues - authors of the course Codeasy.net codeasy.net- you may check thier tutorial for C#.

Tips for writing clean code

Now that we've discussed some of the beneficial aspects of writing pure code, it's time to learn some tips that will help us write it. As we can see from the following lines of code, clean code covers and follows the following tips. These tips are what makes the code cleaner, readable, understandable and simple. There is no need to implement all the tips. The implementation and further adherence to one or two of them may be enough to lead you to a positive result.

1. Write a readable code

Everyone knows that the code we write is further interpreted by machines. But this does not mean that we can neglect its readability and clarity. There is always a chance that someone else will want to work with our code or he will have to work with it. Even if we write code that no one can access, then we ourselves can return to it after some time. For this reason, it's in our best interest to write clean code right away, in order to easily return to work with it at any time. But how?

The simplest way is to use spaces. Reducing the code before it is released is normal. However, it is not necessary to write code that has an abbreviated form. Instead, you can use different identification elements, such as: parentheses, blank lines and indents, to make the structure of our code more readable. The decision to use similar elements in the code structure will greatly improve the readability and clarity of this code. Let's just take a look at the code in order to understand everything.

2. Use clear words to describe variables, functions, and methods

Let's look at the second tip, which will help us write clean and understandable code. And the essence of the advice is to use understandable words in the designation of variables, functions and methods. But what does "use clear words" mean? Clear words are those words, looking at which, not only we, but also other people will understand what this or that variable, function or method is intended for. In other words, the name itself should speak for a variable, function or method.

At the same time, some things should be kept in mind. Using clear notation does not mean that we should use any number of characters and words when creating them. A good universal rule is to use three or four words maximum. If we need to use more than four words, then maybe we are trying to do several things at a time, and we should make our code easier. So, let's use only the required number of symbols to denote variables, functions, and methods.

3. Write the code so that any function or method performs only one task

When I first started coding, I wrote methods and functions that looked more like a Swiss army knife. My methods could contain and perform anything. One of the problems was finding a name suitable for such a function. The second was the problem that no one, except me, could understand what this function does and how to use it. However, sometimes, even I could not make out what I wrote there. So I had to write instructions to them. The third problem was that these functions were extremely unpredictable. I was creating a very confusing code.

Then, I do not remember who, I was given this wonderful advice. Write the code so that any function or method performs only one task. This tip changed everything and helped me start writing more "clean" code. From now on, other people could understand what's going on in my code. Or they needed much less time for this. My functions and methods also became predictable. They began to produce the same result all the time with the same input. In addition, the problem with inventing names for functions was reduced to a minimum.

If you spend a lot of time thinking up names for your functions and methods, or you have to write long instructions for your code for other people, then I highly recommend that you review and begin to implement this advice. Allow each function or method to perform only one task. Also use this tip if your code is similar to a Swiss army knife. Believe me, this versatility of your functions is not an advantage. This is most likely a defect that can lead to negative consequences at any time.

4. Use the comments as explanations

No matter how seriously you come to the question of the designation of variables, functions and methods. Your code from this is still not as clear and "clean" as possible. The code still contains the lines that need to be explained. The problem may not be that they are difficult to understand or use. And quite the opposite, the problem can be that it will be absolutely incomprehensible, and why we realized this function or method exactly so, and why here we decided to write this way. The meaning, the idea, why it should be exactly so remain unclear.

Sometimes we will have to resort to very unorthodox approaches to solving a particular problem, since nothing else is capable of solving it, or we simply do not have time for a better solution. And this is quite difficult to explain with the help of only the code. Using comments inside our code can help us solve this problem. Comments can help us explain to other people why we wrote, what we wrote, and why we wrote it that way. As a result, they will not have to guess again, but what is written here.

More importantly, when we explain our solutions, other developers will be able to offer, perhaps, a better solution to the problem, and thereby improve our code. This is possible, since they know what the problem is and what needs to be obtained as a result. Without this information, it will be extremely difficult for them to offer a better solution. Or they will not even try, because they think that there is no need. They will think that it is in our interests that everything remains as it is.

So, if we suddenly want to use any "crutches" or extraordinary solutions, then it is necessary to equip such decisions with comments so that it is clear why we did it that way. It is better to write a line or two lines of a comment, than to force people to guess, and what is there.

However, keep in mind that we mean writing comments, only where necessary. No need to comment on bad code. Writing comments to a bad code is a vicious circle that does not help in its transformation into "clean" code. If the code is written badly, then the problem should be solved by its improvement, and not by writing long instructions to it. The "clean" code is more preferable than the instructions for bad code.

5. Be consistent

When we search for any particular coding advice or writing styles that we like, then we should stick to the found and try to use it everywhere. However, using different tips or styles in different projects is not always a good idea. This approach is also useful, as the non-use of any tips or styles at all. In this case, the return to our old code will not be as smooth and natural as it could be. We will have to spend some time trying to figure out what style or advice we used in this project before we can start working with it.

The most advantageous solution in this case is choosing a few tips and styles, after which you just need to stick to them only in all your projects. As a result, it will be much easier for you to return to the old code for its modifications. But what about experimentation? Trying different tips is good. This approach can help to find the best solution for our task. And yet, it is best to experiment on individual pilot projects and tasks, rather than with your main project.

In addition, when we decide to experiment a little, then we have to do the experiment several times and on several projects. It is necessary to spend a sufficient amount of time that you should carefully work it out. Only when we are fully convinced that we like such advice or style, we must implement it on real projects. And when we decided that it was time to do this, it is best to apply our new developments in all our projects. Of course, it will take time, but it will make us think about all the changes correctly.

Check your code regularly

This is my final tip on writing clean code. Just writing clean code is not all. Our task does not end with a semicolon. The next step is to keep the clean code in this state. So let's say a "clean" code requires maintenance. After you have written something, you should always check it, correct it and try to improve it. Otherwise, if we do not check our code and we do not improve it, then in time it will simply become obsolete. Just like our old devices. If we want our code to be always "in shape", then we should update it regularly.