Most people write bad code

The more code I read the more I realise the majority of programmers write awful code. I say awful because an inherent law of programming is that bad code + time = awful code.

And everywhere I dig I find people who just solved the problem and then f***** off. Let me tell you something kids.

It's not over when you solved it. That's the easy part. You write some tests (if you do, still an option for most people apparently) then you solve the damn thing, easy.

What's important is the part after. That's refactoring, editing, rewording, going for a coffee because it's not exactly right and you can't put your finger on what makes it not exactly right, and then refactoring, editing and rewording again until it's just right.

The person who will look at it later – even if sometimes it might just be you and you only – must go "oh yeah, right, obviously" and understand straight away what you encapsulated, what you solved with such delightful verse of limpid instructions. It needs to be bright without ever being smart.

Now, let me tell you something else. Most of my code doesn't do that. I tried, but then I come back to it months later and I find it slightly off. I'm starting to find that experience, Experience with a big ole' capital E, is a slow dripper, and that it's only in those subtle perspective shifts that I find myself growing up.

The way I write tests has changed, the way I define interfaces has changed, my use of functional programming has changed, all the tools in my humble programmer toolbox are slowly adapting to the test of time, and it's actually really exciting. I still enjoy programming with the same passion, and I'm glad that my set of rules and tools is evolving with it.

But I'm still nowhere close, I know that. There are so many things I don't grasp, and so little I master – such is the crude reality of a technology that relies on hundreds of layers to get information across.

But one thing has not changed though: I try. I still try, despite the new requirements, despite the ever-changing rules, despite the new frameworks, despite the pressing bugs, despite the this and that, I still try and write code that will make everyone struggle a bit less that if I didn't try.

Let me throw in a couple famous quotes to bring down the value of this article:

CODE IS ALSO

"Good design is obvious. Great design is transparent." – Joe Sparano.

SOMETHING THAT

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." – Leonardo da Vinci.

MUST BE

"Design is the intermediary between information and understanding." - Hans Hofmann

DESIGNED WELL.

Rant over.