Revisiting: Clean Up Your Code by Applying These 7 Rules

Five years ago, I wrote about applying seven rules to improve code quality. I want to examine what principles remain relevant and where my perspective has evolved through experience.

What Still Holds Up

Several foundational ideas from the original article have proven durable. Readable code is still one of the best investments you can make. Clear naming, straightforward control flow, and compact, purposeful functions enhance comprehension.

The Boy Scout Rule—leaving code marginally better than discovered—continues to resonate. This philosophy works because it transcends specific tools or trends, focusing instead on benefiting future readers and maintainers.

Where Perspectives Changed

My most significant shift involves recognizing that cleanup isn’t always straightforward. Earlier career approaches treated refactoring as isolated activities, but experience revealed deeper complexities:

• Refactoring without understanding existing constraints can introduce bugs
• Technical decisions often reflect product needs and organizational pressures, not aesthetic preferences
• The rules were never wrong, but they were incomplete without context

Working with inherited codebases taught me that understanding why code exists creates more value than immediate aesthetic improvements.

From Rules to Principles

The central thesis evolved: clean code is not a checklist, it is a byproduct of understanding. Judgment matters more than rigid adherence to rules. Sometimes refactoring serves best; other times documentation or patient observation prove more valuable.

I still believe in clean code. But I now advocate for respecting existing decisions. Effective stewardship involves recognizing that code represents choices made under specific constraints and pressures.