What Uncle Bob Taught Me About Clean Code (and How It Changed the Way I Program)

Writing code is easy. Writing clean, readable, and sustainable code is a challenge. Anyone who has dealt with messy code knows how much of a nightmare it can be. This is where the teachings of Robert C. Martin, better known as Uncle Bob, made all the difference for me. The book Clean Code changed the way I program, and in this article, I share seven fundamental principles I’ve learned and apply in my daily work.

Clean Code in Practice: Valuable Lessons I Learned from Uncle Bob

1. Meaningful and Expressive Names

Names matter. Variables, functions, and classes should have names that clearly communicate their intent. Instead of something like:

let d = new Date();

Prefer:

let currentDate = new Date();

This improves readability and reduces the need for unnecessary comments. Code that explains itself is clean code.

2. Small Functions with a Single Responsibility

Functions should do only one thing and do it well. If you need to describe a function with an "and," it is probably doing more than it should:

function processPayment(user, amount) {
    validateUser(user);
    calculateDiscount(user);
    chargeUser(user, amount);
    sendConfirmationEmail(user);
}

This function has multiple responsibilities. We can break it into smaller functions:

function processPayment(user, amount) {
    if (!validateUser(user)) return;
    const finalAmount = calculateDiscount(user, amount);
    chargeUser(user, finalAmount);
    notifyUser(user);
}

This makes the code more modular, reusable, and easier to test.

3. Avoid Unnecessary Comments

Comments are useful when they explain why something was done, not what is being done. If the code requires a comment to be understood, it is probably not clean. Compare:

// Checks if the user has permission
if (user.role === 'admin') {
    allowAccess();
}

With self-explanatory code:

const isAdmin = user.role === 'admin';
if (isAdmin) allowAccess();

Whenever possible, let the code speak for itself.

4. Reduce Dependencies and Avoid Repetitive Code (DRY - Don't Repeat Yourself)

Duplicating code increases complexity and makes maintenance harder. If you notice repeating patterns, encapsulate them in a function:

function calculateFinalPrice(price, discount) {
    return price - (price * discount);
}

const productA = calculateFinalPrice(100, 0.1);
const productB = calculateFinalPrice(200, 0.2);

This avoids repeating logic and makes maintenance easier.

5. Use Simple Control Structures

Avoid deep nesting, which makes code harder to read. Here’s a bad example:

if (user) {
    if (user.isActive) {
        if (user.hasPermission) {
            grantAccess();
        }
    }
}

A cleaner way to write it:

if (!user || !user.isActive || !user.hasPermission) return;
grantAccess();

This improves readability and makes the code more elegant.

6. Test Your Code

Clean code is not just readable but also reliable. Writing automated tests ensures that functions do what they are supposed to. For example, a test for the calculateFinalPrice function could be:

test('calculateFinalPrice should apply discount correctly', () => {
    expect(calculateFinalPrice(100, 0.1)).toBe(90);
    expect(calculateFinalPrice(200, 0.2)).toBe(160);
});

This prevents future changes from introducing bugs without us noticing.

7. Continuous Refactoring

Clean code is not written perfectly the first time—it is refined over time. Refactoring should be a continuous practice to keep the code simple and efficient. If something can be improved, do it!

Consider this example:

function getUserFullName(user) {
    return user.firstName + ' ' + user.lastName;
}

We can refactor it using template literals:

function getUserFullName(user) {
    return `${user.firstName} ${user.lastName}`;
}

Small improvements add up and make a big difference in code quality.

Conclusion

Learning Clean Code with Uncle Bob changed my perspective on development. Applying these principles results in more readable, maintainable, and sustainable code. In the end, clean code is not just a favor for other developers—it’s a gift to our future selves.

How about starting to apply these practices in your code today? 🚀