Everything has to run fast these days. We want to get results quickly and find information as easily as possible. The Internet makes our lives easier by providing information in no time at all. That is why, especially in software development, we tend to answer our questions through Internet contributions and/or online videos. This may work well in many cases, but when it comes to very important topics, it is definitely better to get the knowledge you are looking for first-hand. One example of one of these topics is code quality.
This isn't a guide on how to make clean code, but rather a reflection of where our definition of clean code comes from.
Really understand the axioms of good code quality
Anyone who has dealt with software development has come into contact with the term “code quality” at some point. “Code should be readable like continuous text,” “variable names should make its purpose clearly recognizable,” “a method should only deal with one task,” etc. — these are all principles that we have already read in this context.
For my development as a software developer, it was fundamental to ask: Where do these axioms actually come from? And why are they so important? Our first reflex to answer these questions would most likely be to open the browser and type in these questions into a search engine. And the Internet is overflowing with answers to these questions. There are numerous articles about code quality and clean code.
But do these posts really contain all the important information? Is one or the other concept perhaps not explained quite correctly? Or does the one connection not fully represent?
And there is also a pitfall: When you first start to deal with the matter, you tend to perceive much of what you read or hear as being. However, you should definitely treat this information from the Internet with caution.
Better than the Internet: Clean Code Books
“Why should I read books? “you might ask. I would like to consult my grandma for this. My grandma always told me that we younger people should learn from the knowledge of the elderly so as not to make the same mistake. This statement is particularly true when we talk about code quality and clean code. You're probably asking what my old grandma can contribute to code quality? The answer is simple: Your knowledge of how valuable things are that you deal with in detail. Or even: your knowledge of quality.
That's why my recommendation to anyone who wants to write good code is to read books. Get involved in long-term learning and get your knowledge from the sources in which these concepts are brought to life because they are dealt with on a large scale. Take your understanding to a new level.
Here is a selection of books that I can recommend:
- ”Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship”
- ”Clean Architechture: A Craftsman's Guide to Software Structure and Design”
- ”The Pragmatic Programmer: From Journeyman to Master”
- ”Design Patterns. Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software”
- ”Object Oriented Software Engineering: A Use Case Driven Approach”
- And many more
The authors of the books mentioned above have been in the software industry for decades and can therefore help us avoid errors and keep our code “clean.”
Together with your IDE, these masterpieces are a developer's most important tools.
And let me say that again: Don't hurry and take time to internalize content and connections. The concepts in these books should come naturally in your everyday life as a developer. How can you do that? Pick up a book, read a chapter and try to apply the concept or concepts taught to work over a few weeks. Then read the next section and move on. Have you noticed that there might be some catching up to do after all? Then don't be shy and go back and read it again and again.
