In this engaging discussion, Robert C. Martin, known as Uncle Bob, shares insights from his 50 years in software engineering. He emphasizes the importance of clean code as a foundation for quality software and team morale. Uncle Bob discusses metrics for assessing code quality and the severe consequences of neglecting it. He provides managerial tips on fostering a culture of clean coding and stresses the significance of honest communication with clients. Prepare to hear how the right mindset can save time and money while enhancing productivity!
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volunteer_activism ADVICE
Small Functions, Precise Names
Keep functions small, ideally two to four lines long.
Name functions precisely with descriptive phrases or clauses, resembling natural language.
insights INSIGHT
The Slowdown Paradox
Unclean code's main consequence is a slowdown in development, despite feeling faster to write initially.
This ironic slowdown is a common experience for developers revisiting their own messy code.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Setting Expectations
Managers should expect high-quality work and communicate this expectation clearly.
Programmers, understanding this, should strive for quality as the fastest path to meeting deadlines.
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This book by Robert C. Martin focuses on what it means to be a professional software developer. It covers various aspects of software development, including the importance of taking responsibility, saying no when necessary, and committing to tasks. The book emphasizes techniques such as Test-Driven Development (TDD), refactoring, and time management. Martin uses anecdotes and real-life stories from his 42-year career to illustrate key points, making the book engaging and practical. It also delves into social aspects of daily work, such as communication, collaboration, and continuous learning.
Clean Code
A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship
Robert C. Martin
In 'Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship,' Robert C. Martin provides practical advice, best practices, and principles to help software developers write high-quality code. The book emphasizes the importance of code readability, changeability, extensibility, and maintainability. It covers various aspects such as naming conventions, function design, comments, and testing, with a focus on making code easy to understand and modify. Martin also introduces several key concepts, including the 'Boy Scout Rule' and the 'Law of Demeter,' to improve coding practices.
Clean code is the most essential part of building great software with your team. In this interview Uncle Bob shares half a century worth of experience and practical tips about measuring code quality, leading your team, having them write clean code, and selling clean code standards to impatient clients.
In this interview we're covering:
Definition of clean code
Metrics of clean code
Consequences of bad code
Tips for engineering managers
Communication tips
On-boarding to clean code
Scaling with clean code
Clean code vs deadlines
And more!
Excerpt from the interview:
"The underlying theme is that if you want to go fast, meet schedules, and keep your customers and your managers happy, keep your code as clean as possible. Nothing will make you work faster than keeping your workspace clean.
One of the most important things a developer can say to a manager is the word no. You must be able to look your manager in the eye with all the empathy and sympathy you can muster, and say, “The answer is no.” You will save a lot of money if you say no at the right time.
Never promise to do something you know you can't do. They will believe you, bet a lot on your ability to do it, and you will let them down."
Level-up Engineering 
