Clean code is an important aspect of a software developer’s skill set. It means writing code that works well, and is easy to read, understand, and maintain. Three key principles of writing clean code are conciseness, reusability, and a clear flow of execution. Each principle in its own way contributes to the ease with which the software development process proceeds and the reliability of the end product.

1. Striking the Right Balance Between Conciseness and Clarity:

Finding the right balance between writing concise and clear code is very important. Concise code can make the codebase easier to read and it reduces the amount of time spent writing it. However, being too concise can make the code difficult to understand. The goal is to keep the code brief but also easy to read and understand without losing its purpose or logic.

2. Reusability

Another important principle of clean code is reusability. Writing code that can be reused in different parts of an application or across different projects saves time and reduces redundancy. Reusable code leads to a more modular structure, which makes the codebase easier to maintain and enhances its flexibility. It not only speeds up development but also makes it easier to fix bugs and make future updates.

3. Explicit Flow of Execution

A clear flow of execution is one of the critical characteristics of the code that guarantees its readability and ease of maintenance. A not well structured code leads to a condition where it is difficult to maintain a project. A logical and straightforward flow of code is easy to perceive by a developer, which is necessary for the code support during the whole life cycle.

4. The Single Responsibility Principle (SRP)

Every module or class should have only one responsibility. This decreases complexity, thereby making the code base manageable. Testing  and debugging, with development and improvements for future maintenance, are all greatly simplified, hence, the software becomes easier to use and much more understandable.

Conclusion

The balance between conciseness, reusability, clear execution, and following the Single Responsibility Principle will definitely allow developers to write clean code, benefiting the whole process of software development. Clean code is not simply error avoidance, but also it improves collaboration inside the team, makes life easier for new developers, and significantly increases the speed of code reviews. This will definitely result in efficient, maintainable software with easy adaptation to changes. Keeping these principles in mind allows me and other peers to create software that is functional, yet high quality and user-friendly. Even though we have done Clean code in Software process management class, reading this article helps as a reminder for writing code as best possible and also comes with examples which I did not include not to make this blog post too lengthy, but I suggest everyone to go and read it.

Citations:

https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/how-to-write-clean-code/

From the blog CS@Worcester – Maria Delia by Maria Delia and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

Licensing may seem like an obscure legal detail, but it plays a critical role in scientific software development. In “The Whys and Hows of Licensing Scientific Code”, Jake VanderPlas breaks down why picking the right license is key to sharing and advancing research.

Summary of the Article

VanderPlas emphasizes three key takeaways:

Always license your code. Without a license, code is effectively closed, limiting its reuse. If you don’t, it’s basically off-limits for anyone else to use.

Use a GPL-compatible license.This makes it easier for your code to work with other open-source projects.

Prefer permissive licenses like BSD or MIT. These licenses lower barriers for collaboration, they are the most flexible and let people from both academia and industry collaborate freely.

Licensing is crucial for scientific reproducibility and collaboration. Even if you post your code publicly, without a license, it’s still “all rights reserved,” meaning others can’t legally use it. VanderPlas recommends permissive licenses because they encourage more people to adopt and improve the code. On the other hand, copyleft licenses (like GPL) keep the code open but might scare off companies from getting involved.

Personal Reflection

While reading this article, I found VanderPlas’s insights particularly relevant and important. I appreciate how licensing can help bridge the gap between innovation and real-world impact. The idea of using BSD or MIT licenses makes sense because they’re simple and open the door for more people to get involved.

This also made me think about how intentional we have to be with our work. Just like we carefully document research methods, licensing makes it clear how others can use and improve our code and/or tools. It’s a good reminder that open science isn’t just about sharing, it’s about having solid guidelines that make collaboration easier and that push science forward.

Citation

VanderPlas, J. (2014, March 10). The Whys and Hows of Licensing Scientific Code. Pythonic Perambulations.

Link of the article: https://www.astrobetter.com/blog/2014/03/10/the-whys-and-hows-of-licensing-scientific-code/

From the blog CS@Worcester – Maria Delia by Maria Delia and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.

The article “What to Expect From Agile” by Julian Birkinshaw talks about how agile management, which started in software development, is now being used in other industries. It uses ING Bank in the Netherlands as an example to show how agile principles can change a whole organization. ING started its transformation in 2015 to deal with problems like too much bureaucracy and separate departments that didn’t work well together.

Summary

Agile is a method that focuses on being flexible, working together, and improving things little by little. ING decided to use it to make their operations more efficient, inspired by companies like Spotify and Google. They made big changes, like reorganizing their teams into smaller groups called “squads” that handle tasks from start to finish and larger groups called “tribes” that focus on similar goals.

Here are the key things ING learned during this change:

1. Shifting Power: Managers gave up some control to allow teams closer to customers to make decisions. This led to a big culture shift, and some senior managers left because they didn’t fit this new way of working.
2. Keeping Stakeholders Involved: ING worked with regulators and other important groups to show that agile could work while still keeping important rules in place.
3. Focusing on Customers: Teams were organized based on what customers needed and could adapt their focus as those needs changed.
4. Balancing Freedom and Structure: ING used quarterly business reviews to set goals and stay on track while letting teams decide how to get things done.
5. Helping Employees Grow: Agile gave employees more opportunities to learn new skills and take on exciting challenges.

The results were positive: employees felt more engaged, customers were happier, and the bank saved money.

Reflection

What stands out to me the most is how agile balances giving teams freedom while still making sure they’re working toward the company’s goals. It’s not easy to find that balance, especially for industries like banking, where following rules is really important. It also impressed me how ING’s leaders had to let go of control and trust their teams to make decisions. That takes a lot of courage!

As a computer science and business administration student, I see how this case connects both of my fields. Agile started as a software development idea, but it’s now shaping how businesses are managed. If I were in a workplace like this, I’d like having the freedom agile offers, but I’d also want clear support systems to stay on track and make sure we’re meeting goals.

Citation

Birkinshaw, Julian. “What to Expect From Agile.” MIT Sloan Management Review, December 11, 2017.

From the blog CS@Worcester – Maria Delia by Maria Delia and used with permission of the author. All other rights reserved by the author.