Step 62: Only the Code Tells the Truth ~ Peter Sommerlad
This is the 62nd Step towards gaining the Programming Enlightenment series. If you didn’t learn the 61st Step, read it.
“Truth Can Only be Found in One Place: the CODE.” ~ Robert C. Martin
Code comments, software documentation, and the technical specification don’t get updated when the code changes. The CODE always reflects the software’s actual behavior.
All of the design and requirement documents may not capture the detail of the implementation. They may have been lost or never written in the first place. Thus, it is the code that only reveals what decision or design specification are currently used or the code actually does.
With the source code being the ultimate source of truth, when a developer codes, they need to keep in mind that either they need to maintain the code down the line or some other developer will have to. So, we must make sure the code is clean and readable.
How to make CODE understandable?
- Comments are great. But, if you have to explain what your code does through comments, we should consider refactoring it. Code tends to change fast but not the comments.
- Strive for good names.
- Structure your code ie clean code architecture.
- Decouple your code to achieve orthogonality.
- Refactor mercilessly to make the code a simpler, better solution.
- Treat your code like any other composition, such as poem, essay or blog.
TL;DR Treat your CODE like any other composition, such as poem, essay or blog. It should be readable and joyful to other developers.
Go to 61st Step
Go to 63rd step
References:
- 97 things Every Programmer Should Know ~ Git Book
- 97 Things Every Programmer Should Know ~ Paperback
- Clean Code Blog ~ Uncle Bob
- Clean Code Series ~ Medium
- Clean Code Principles ~ Simpleprogrammer.com