How to Write Code That Doesn’t Suck (Senior Developer Secrets)

We Need to Talk About Your Code

I'll be honest. When I first started coding, my code was a disaster. I wrote 500-line functions. I named variables data1 and tempArray. I nested if statements so deeply that my screen looked like a sideways pyramid.

It worked. But six months later, when a bug appeared, I had to spend three days deciphering my own logic.

Writing code that a computer can understand is easy. Writing code that a human can understand is the true mark of a Senior Developer.

Here are the secrets to writing code that doesn't suck.

1. Name Things Like a Human, Not a Robot

The hardest problem in computer science isn't caching; it's naming things.

Bad:

const d = getD();
const t = d.filter(x => x.s === 1);

Good:

const users = fetchAllUsers();
const activeUsers = users.filter(user => user.status === 'active');

Your code should read like a book. If you have to add a comment to explain what a variable is, your variable name is bad.

2. Return Early (Guard Clauses)

Stop nesting if/else statements. Use guard clauses to exit a function as soon as possible if a condition isn't met.

Bad (The Pyramid of Doom):

function processPayment(user, amount) {
  if (user != null) {
    if (user.hasCreditCard) {
      if (amount > 0) {
        // Do the payment logic
      } else {
        throw new Error("Invalid amount");
      }
    } else {
      throw new Error("No credit card");
    }
  } else {
    throw new Error("No user");
  }
}

Good (Guard Clauses):

function processPayment(user, amount) {
  if (!user) throw new Error("No user");
  if (!user.hasCreditCard) throw new Error("No credit card");
  if (amount <= 0) throw new Error("Invalid amount");

  // Do the payment logic
}

Notice how much easier that is to read? The core logic isn't buried under three levels of indentation.

3. Functions Should Do One Thing

A function should do exactly what its name says, and nothing else. If your function is named calculateTax, it should not also be saving the user to the database and sending an email.

If a function has the word And in its description ("This function validates the user AND logs them in"), split it into two functions.

4. Don't Be Clever. Be Clear.

Junior developers love showing off how smart they are by condensing complex logic into a single unreadable one-liner using ternary operators and array reductions.

Senior developers write boring code.

Clever (Bad):

const res = arr.reduce((a, b) => (a[b.id] = b, a), {});

Clear (Good):

const usersById = {};
for (const user of arr) {
  usersById[user.id] = user;
}

"Clever" code causes bugs. "Boring" code makes you money.

The Golden Rule

Before you submit a Pull Request, ask yourself: "If I get hit by a bus tomorrow, can my team understand this code?"

If the answer is no, you aren't done coding.

Want to hire a developer who writes clean, scalable, bus-proof code? Let's work together.

Read more about how Software Engineering principles can elevate your work.

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