Write Code for Maintainability and Readability

Every time I've inherited a codebase, the first thing I look for isn't the code quality. It's whether anyone wrote down why decisions were made. Clean code with no context is almost as hard to work with as messy code with good documentation. Because you can refactor mess. You can't refactor intent you don't understand.

Writing code is satisfying. Breaking my own code with real-life scenarios? Even better. Because that’s where assumptions get challenged, edge cases show up, and real understanding begins. Clean code is good. Tested code is better.

The most expensive code is the code you can’t safely change. You add a new feature. Suddenly: • Something else breaks • Tests don’t cover it • You hesitate to deploy That’s fear. And fear in a codebase = technical debt. As The Extra Mile Guy, I optimize for: 👉 Safe changes 👉 Predictable impact 👉 Confidence in deployment Because speed is not just writing code fast. It’s changing code safely.

When I say "code is cheap" I feel like I'm not fully understood. I do mean it, not in a superficial way, code IS cheap when any-old code will do. I think the right code is still at least as expensive as it ever was.

Fixing a codebase you didn’t write is never just “fixing bugs”. Most of the time, the system isn’t broken… it just doesn’t behave the way the product needs anymore. That changes how you approach it. Instead of trying to understand everything, I focus on: • Reproducing the behavior • Tracing how the system actually works • Making the smallest change that moves things forward Clean code is great, but in real-world projects, the job is to evolve systems without breaking them. (full breakdown in the comments)

I used to overcomplicate everything. More layers. More logic. More “clever” code. Now I choose: 👉 Simple. Clear. Maintainable. Because the best code isn’t the smartest— it’s the one your future self understands instantly. Simple or complex—what do you prefer?

🧠 **Readable code vs Short code — what would you choose?** Both snippets in the image solve the same problem… But one is compact, while the other is more expressive. 💡 This made me think: * Is shorter code always better? * Or does readability win in the long run? From what I’ve seen: ✔️ Code is read far more often than it is written ✔️ Clear intent > clever tricks ✔️ Maintainability beats brevity in real systems ⚡ **Big question:** 👉 Which one would you prefer in a real codebase — A or B? Drop your answer in the comments 👇 and let’s discuss!

🤔 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱? We’ve all written code that works. But the real question is — will it still make sense a year from now? Or to someone reading it for the first time? 👉 Code is not just for machines. It’s for humans. A “working” solution might solve today’s problem. A clean, self-explanatory solution solves tomorrow’s confusion. 🔹 Prefer meaningful names over short ones 🔹 Write intent-revealing logic 🔹 Avoid unnecessary complexity 🔹 Keep functions small and focused 🔹 Comments should explain why, not what Because after a few months, even you become a new reader of your own code. And nothing is more frustrating than asking: "What was I even trying to do here?" 💬 Clean code is not about perfection. It’s about clarity, maintainability, and respect for the next developer. #CleanCode #SoftwareEngineering #CodingBestPractices

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗻. It’s the code that “works.” Every mature codebase has it.  • Written 3 – 5 years ago  • Not optimized  • Not clean  • Not documented  • But somehow… still running fine And nobody touches it. Not because developers are lazy — but because everyone knows: 👉 touching it has unknown consequences 👉 understanding it takes time no one budgets for 👉 rewriting it has no immediate business value So it stays. Wrapped in fear. Protected by deadlines. Ignored until something forces attention. The uncomfortable truth: 𝗕𝗮𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝘅𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗱. 𝗜𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝘅𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲. Until then, it survives. Not because it’s good engineering — but because it’s “good enough” for the system to keep moving. Which is why I’ve started looking at legacy code differently: Instead of asking “Why is this so messy?” should ask: What constraints led to this? What risk does it carry today? When is it actually worth touching? Because blindly “cleaning” working code can be worse than leaving it alone. And ignoring it forever is worse than both. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗲. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. #softwareengineering #legacycode #engineering #building

Technical tutorials build trust by solving real problems with code examples. Draft.dev creates step-by-step guides with the 'why' and 'how,' helping developers adopt your tech and drive awareness. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gQksUyhk