Clean Code

• Don't do big restructure, improve incrementally.
  • One of the berst ways to ruin a probem is to make massive changes in the name of improvement
  • Keep the system running at all times
  • Make a tiny change, then run the tests
• Always check-in code a little better than it was before.
• Testing: rspec, test_unit
• Open/Closed Principal: open for extension but closed for modification - or - create a barrier between those things that change and those things that don't.
• Professionals write tests first
• Professionals cleanup code
• Professionals know that the only way to go fast -- is to go well

Is it worth it to clean up code?

• Bad code gets harder and harder to clean as time goes by.
• You should clean code as soon as it gets messy.
• This takes less time than debugging code later
• Nothing has a more profound and long-term degrading effect than bad code:
  • Bad schedules can be redone
  • Bad requirements can be redefined
  • Bad team dynamcis can be resolved

Analogy: What is the quickets way to be done with dinner?

• After dinnner, get up and walk away and don't clear or do the dishes
• Or, keep the dishes clean all the time
• Dinner will take longer, but the whole process of preparing dinner will be quicker

Links

• Session Description