56: How can you make code habitable?

How do you write code that you (and your colleagues, present and future) can live in?

Show Notes

It is easy to think that when you are writing code your target audience is a computer. But almost all code is more than a simple list of instructions for a machine to follow. A mature codebase is a living, breathing thing that gets touched by many, many developers. So how do we go about writing our code for _humans_?

What does "habitability" mean in a code context? How does the Broken Windows theory transfer to the code you write? And why should you avoid "code golf" at all costs? Find out all this and more in this week's locked-down instalment of A Question of Code.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Broken windows theory
• What is "code golf"?
• Prettier

What is A Question of Code?

A newbie coder and a seasoned veteran discuss the questions that always come up when someone begins learning to code.

Ed is looking at getting a career in programming and has been learning to code for just over a year. During this time he’s been building up a stack of questions that keep coming up from other newbie coders. Luckily, he’s got someone he can ask for help: Tom. Tom’s a seasoned coder, having worked in the industry for a few years now and has all the answers Ed needs, or does he?