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simplicity
book

simplicity

by Dave Thomas
June 2025
Intermediate to advanced
152 pages
3h 15m
English
Pragmatic Bookshelf
Content preview from simplicity
Practice 23No Comment

Some developers write comments. Lots of comments. Excessive numbers of comments. Every file, every module, every function, every variable, and every parameter has a novella attached to it, with all the types annotated, the exceptions listed, and emergency contact information in case any of the naming is triggering.

Idea 50Make the code readable; cut back the comments

As far as I’m concerned, this is a bad practice. First, it means that any change to the code involves twice as much work: change the code, and you have to make sure that you also update any related comment text. And, because comments aren’t typically tested, there’s no guarantee that those comment changes are correct. Over time, the comments become a net negative; ...

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Publisher Resources

ISBN: 9798888651704