Clean code principles every developer should follow

Clean code isn’t about style points. It’s about making the next change cheap, for you in six months and for whoever inherits the project.

Names do most of the work

A well-named function rarely needs a comment. Name things after what they mean in the business, not how they’re implemented. calculateInvoiceTotal tells a story; processData2 hides one.

Small, honest functions

Functions should do one thing and do what their name says, with no surprising side effects. When a function needs a paragraph of explanation, it usually wants to be two functions.

Write code for the reader. The computer will understand it either way.

Habits that keep a codebase healthy

• Leave each file a little better than you found it
• Delete dead code instead of commenting it out
• Write tests for behaviour, not implementation details
• Keep pull requests small enough to review properly
• Automate formatting so reviews focus on what matters

None of this is glamorous, but it’s the difference between a product that speeds up over time and one that grinds to a halt.