Code is hard to read when you use tricky names with no semantics or rely on accidental language complexity. Code is hard to read when you use tricky names with no semantics or rely on accidental language complexity. TL;DR: Don't try to look too smart. Clean code emphasizes readability and simplicity. TL;DR: Don't try to look too smart. Clean code emphasizes readability and simplicity. Problems 😔 Readability
Maintainability
Code Quality
Premature Optimization Readability Maintainability Code Quality Premature Optimization Solutions 😃 Refactor the code
Use good names
Refactor tricky code
Prefer clarity first
Avoid hidden tricks
Optimize only later with strong real evidence Refactor the code Use good names good names Refactor tricky code Prefer clarity first Avoid hidden tricks Optimize only later with strong real evidence Refactorings ⚙️ https://hackernoon.com/refactoring-005-replace-comment-with-function-name?embedable=true https://hackernoon.com/refactoring-005-replace-comment-with-function-name?embedable=true Examples Optimized loops Optimized loops Context 💬 You might feel the urge to show off your skills with complex tricks or cryptic names. This makes your code harder to read, debug, and extend. You must remember that you write code for humans, not machines. Sample Code 📖 Wrong 🚫 function primeFactors(n) {
  var f = [],  i = 0, d = 2;  
  
  for (i = 0; n >= 2; ) {
     if(n % d == 0) {
       f[i++]=(d); 
       n /= d;
    }
    else {
      d++;
    }     
  }
  return f;
} function primeFactors(n) {
  var f = [],  i = 0, d = 2;  
  
  for (i = 0; n >= 2; ) {
     if(n % d == 0) {
       f[i++]=(d); 
       n /= d;
    }
    else {
      d++;
    }     
  }
  return f;
} Right 👉 function primeFactors(numberToFactor) {
  var factors = [], 
      divisor = 2,
      remainder = numberToFactor;
  
  while(remainder>=2) {
    if(remainder % divisor === 0) {
       factors.push(divisor); 
       remainder = remainder / divisor;
    }
    else {
      divisor++;
    }     
  }
  return factors;
} function primeFactors(numberToFactor) {
  var factors = [], 
      divisor = 2,
      remainder = numberToFactor;
  
  while(remainder>=2) {
    if(remainder % divisor === 0) {
       factors.push(divisor); 
       remainder = remainder / divisor;
    }
    else {
      divisor++;
    }     
  }
  return factors;
} Detection 🔍 [x]Semi-Automatic [x]Semi-Automatic [x] Automatic detection is possible in some languages. Look for warnings about complexity, bad names, post-increment variables, and similar patterns. Exceptions 🛑 Optimized code for low-level operations. Optimized code for low-level operations. Tags 🏷️ Complexity Complexity Level 🔋 Intermediate Intermediate Why the Bijection Is Important 🗺️ When you keep a clear bijection between your program and the MAPPER. bijection MAPPER Other developers and your future self can understand it quickly. Clever tricks break this mapping and force future readers to guess instead of reading. AI Generation 🤖 AI models sometimes generate clever one-liners or compressed solutions. They might look smart but lack readability and semantics. AI Detection 🧲 AI assistants can rewrite clever code into readable code if you instruct them to prefer clarity to optimization. Try Them! 🛠 Remember: AI Assistants make lots of mistakes Remember: AI Assistants make lots of mistakes Suggested Prompt: correct=Remove cleverness from code Suggested Prompt: correct=Remove cleverness from code Without Proper Instructions

With Specific Instructions



ChatGPT

ChatGPT



Claude

Claude



Perplexity

Perplexity



Copilot

Copilot



You

You



Gemini

Gemini



DeepSeek

DeepSeek



Meta AI

Meta AI



Grok

Grok



Qwen

Qwen Without Proper Instructions

With Specific Instructions



ChatGPT

ChatGPT



Claude

Claude



Perplexity

Perplexity



Copilot

Copilot



You

You



Gemini

Gemini



DeepSeek

DeepSeek



Meta AI

Meta AI



Grok

Grok



Qwen

Qwen Without Proper Instructions

With Specific Instructions Without Proper Instructions Without Proper Instructions With Specific Instructions With Specific Instructions ChatGPT

ChatGPT ChatGPT ChatGPT ChatGPT ChatGPT ChatGPT ChatGPT Claude

Claude Claude Claude Claude Claude Claude Claude Perplexity

Perplexity Perplexity Perplexity Perplexity Perplexity Perplexity Perplexity Copilot

Copilot Copilot Copilot Copilot Copilot Copilot Copilot You

You You You You You You You Gemini

Gemini Gemini Gemini Gemini Gemini Gemini Gemini DeepSeek

DeepSeek DeepSeek DeepSeek DeepSeek DeepSeek DeepSeek DeepSeek Meta AI

Meta AI Meta AI Meta AI Meta AI Meta AI Meta AI Meta AI Grok

Grok Grok Grok Grok Grok Grok Grok Qwen

Qwen Qwen Qwen Qwen Qwen Qwen Qwen Conclusion 🏁 Clever developers write cryptic code to brag. Smart developers write clean code. Clear beats clever. Relations 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨 https://hackernoon.com/code-smell-02-dont-let-mysterious-numbers-rule-your-code https://hackernoon.com/code-smell-02-dont-let-mysterious-numbers-rule-your-code https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-iv-7sc3w8n https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-iv-7sc3w8n https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-ix-7rr33ol https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-ix-7rr33ol https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-ix-7rr33ol https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-ix-7rr33ol https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xvi https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xvi https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xi-sit35t1 https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xi-sit35t1 https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-vii-8dk31x0 https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-vii-8dk31x0 https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-x-i7r34uj https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-x-i7r34uj https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xxxx https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xxxx https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-v-evj3zs9 https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-v-evj3zs9 https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xix https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xix https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xxix https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xxix https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xliii https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xliii https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xxxvi https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xxxvi https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xxvi https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xxvi https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-vii-8dk31x0 https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-vii-8dk31x0 https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-v-evj3zs9 https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-v-evj3zs9 https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-v-evj3zs9 https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-v-evj3zs9 https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xiv https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-xiv More Information 📕 https://ardalis.com/are-boolean-flags-on-methods-a-code-smell/?embedable=true https://ardalis.com/are-boolean-flags-on-methods-a-code-smell/?embedable=true Also Known as Obfuscator Obfuscator Credits 🙏 Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash NeONBRAND Unsplash Programming can be fun, so can cryptography; however they should not be combined. Programming can be fun, so can cryptography; however they should not be combined. Kreitzberg & Shneiderman Kreitzberg & Shneiderman https://hackernoon.com/400-thought-provoking-software-engineering-quotes https://hackernoon.com/400-thought-provoking-software-engineering-quotes This article is part of the CodeSmell Series. https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-i-xqz3evd?embedable=true https://hackernoon.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code-part-i-xqz3evd?embedable=true

The code in this story is for educational purposes. The readers are solely responsible for whatever they build with it.

Code Smell 06 - Trying to Be a Clever Programmer

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