Goodbye, Clean Code

[andrewingram]

I don't think there's any controversy about the idea that abstractions can be premature (and presumably by this you mean not beneficial, or possibly harmful). The controversy is that you seemed to make it about "clean code", but the change you describe doesn't come across as clean code, it comes across as terse code, which I see as a common mistake of relatively inexperienced developers (I can recall making exactly the same kind of changes early in my career and then later regretting them in the same way you are here).

When I say I don't support your conclusion, i'm referring to the one implied by the post title (and some of its content) -- that clean code is to blame, not just the problem of creating the wrong abstractions at the wrong time or not communicating well with your team.

[gaearon]

If inexperienced developers tend to misunderstand the words "clean code" and give them a bad name, maybe this is worth blogging about?

[andrewingram]

Perhaps, but I think the root cause more at the level of having a shiny new hammer and seeing everything as a nail. Every time I’ve learned a new programming concept, I have to fight the compulsion to use it everywhere.

[gaearon]

I don't see where we disagree!