Make your code pretty.

Just as you keep your workspace tidy to promote organization and being able to think clearly each time you need to flex your mind and solve problems, you should take some extra time to clean your code up.

Recently I wrote a bunch of Swift code for proof-of-concept prototypes that integrate with hardware with custom firmware. Only I would be viewing the code. So I had a lot of code stuffed into a ViewController. My variable naming conventions weren’t always very definitive. I had extensions sprinkled throughout my code – where it was convenient to just scroll a bit and slap it into the same file.

Since I am still working at home two days a week, I took a little extra time and I went through my project – putting all the extensions into one Swift file. I tuned a lot of code into properly abstracted Classes to reduce the amount of code within any given file – where it made sense. I then went through and commented everywhere, with proper sentences. I formatted all my code to make it pristine and neat and easy to read. Obvious.

And then I learned that I’ll be sharing my repositories with outside developers in a hand-off. Not only am I prepared, it’s going to make everyone’s job so much easier. The won’t have as many questions, everything looks awesome and approachable, and the commenting will help me in the future if I ever have to look at this code again. And it makes my company look good to have prototype code look so nice.

Make tomorrow “National Code Cleanup Day”. Even though there is no such thing. There should be. Celebrate on your own. Oh, and your ReadMe? Make that equally as outstanding – precise & meaningful with useful images and step-by-step information to make you look like you care as much as you actually do.

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