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Good Code is simple and simple code is VERBOSE It doesn't mean anything because both good and simple are subject to on-the-spot redefinition. At what skill lev
by tremon 4y ago
Good Code is simple and simple code is VERBOSE
It doesn't mean anything because both good and simple are subject to on-the-spot redefinition. At what skill level does code become "simple"? Does all code have to be ELI5 to be good? When a Node developer looks at CUDA implementation of k-means regression analysis and finds it "difficult", does that mean the code isn't good?
When the abstractions are familiar
So you're saying it does depend on the programmer, because the programmer should be familiar with the abstractions used?
- b3morales 4y agoIn case you have not seen it, there is an excellent talk by Rich Hickey on what "simple" is and how it differs from "familiar" or "easy": https://www.infoq.com/presentations/Simple-Made-Easy https://www.infoq.com/presentations/Simple-Made-Easy He proposes that "simple" is more objective than subjective.
- Supermancho 4y ago> Does all code have to be ELI5 to be good? Short answer: No. "good" is a different bar (whatever you mean by it). It's not possible for every function to be simple, for more than 1 reason (for sure, some calculations are inherently complex, some relationships are complex, etc). However, the vast majority of code can be. > So you're saying it does depend on the programmer, because the programmer should be familiar with the abstractions used? Correct. It is expected the viewer is familiar with the language, not additional abstraction on top of that. You have to assume there is a cost to those new abstractions that elevate it beyond simple.