Junior developers write code. Senior developers delete code. The best engineers write the least code possible to solve the problem.
Less is literally more
Every line of code is:
- A line that can break
- A line someone has to read
- A line someone has to maintain
The fewer lines, the fewer problems. It's that simple.
Practical tips
Before writing a function, ask: does this already exist in the standard library?
Before creating an abstraction, ask: will this be used more than twice?
Before adding a dependency, ask: can I write this in 20 lines?
// Don't do this
const isEven = (n: number) => n % 2 === 0
const isOdd = (n: number) => !isEven(n)
// Just use the expression inline
if (count % 2 === 0) { ... }
The deletion mindset
Every PR review, I look for things to remove. Dead code, unused imports, overly clever abstractions that nobody understands.
Deleting code feels scary at first. Then it feels incredible.