What’s Your Best Language-Agnostic Advice for Writing Clean Code?

Make it a habit to read plenty of code from various projects, especially larger ones. This helps you see what clean code looks like versus tangled messes. Github is a fantastic resource for this.

My insight after 12 years in multiple languages is to focus on proper data flow first. Avoid premature optimization. Once your code is working, you can refine it, but get the basics right first!

One of my main pieces of advice is to create tight feedback loops. Run your code often to spot issues early. When experimenting, formulate hypotheses and test them instead of guessing. Also, writing good documentation is key—think about how other developers will use your code and guide them with helpful notes.

Always think about naming conventions for your variables and methods; descriptive names are essential. You want to ensure your code can be understood at a glance, even if someone (including future you) comes back to it later.

Everyone has their own idea of what "clean" code looks like; it's subjective! Aim to make your code readable. If it's not clear to you, it won't be clear to anyone else either.