Clean Code Principles

Writing clean code is an art that every programmer should master. It's not just about making the code work; it's about making it work elegantly and maintainably.

Meaningful Names

The first principle of clean code is using meaningful, intention-revealing names for variables, functions, and classes.

// Bad naming
const d = new Date();
const yn = true;
function calc(a, b) { return a + b; }

// Good naming
const currentDate = new Date();
const isUserActive = true;
function calculateSum(firstNumber, secondNumber) {
    return firstNumber + secondNumber;
}

Functions Should Do One Thing

Functions should be small and focused on a single responsibility. This makes them easier to understand, test, and maintain.

// Bad: Function doing multiple things
function processUser(user) {
    validateUser(user);
    saveToDatabase(user);
    sendWelcomeEmail(user);
}

// Good: Separate functions with single responsibilities
function validateUser(user) {
    // Validation logic
}

function saveUser(user) {
    // Database logic
}

function sendWelcomeEmail(user) {
    // Email logic
}

Key Principles

• DRY (Don't Repeat Yourself)
• KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid)
• SOLID Principles
• Code Comments Should Explain Why, Not What

Code Organization

Well-organized code follows a logical structure that makes it easy to navigate and understand. Consider using design patterns and consistent formatting.

// Project structure example
src/
  ├── components/
  │   ├── Button/
  │   │   ├── Button.js
  │   │   ├── Button.test.js
  │   │   └── Button.css
  │   └── Card/
  │       ├── Card.js
  │       ├── Card.test.js
  │       └── Card.css
  ├── utils/
  │   ├── validation.js
  │   └── formatting.js
  └── services/
      ├── api.js
      └── auth.js