Kotlin Code Smell 5 - Too Clever For Your Own Good

TL;DR: Don't pretend you are too smart. Clean code requires readability and simplicity.

Problems

• Readability

• Maintainability

• Code quality

• Premature optimization

Solutions

• Refactor the code

• Use better names

Examples

• Optimized loops

Exceptions

• Optimized code for low-level operations.

• 1-liner code functions

Sample Code

Wrong

fun primeFactors(n: Int): ArrayList<Int> {
    val f = ArrayList<Int>()
    var d = 2
    var nn = n

    while (nn >= 2) {
        if (nn % d == 0) {
            f.add(d)
            nn /= d
        } else {
            d++
        }
    }

    return f
}

Right

fun primeFactors(numberToFactor: Int): ArrayList<Int> {
    val factors = ArrayList<Int>()
    var divisor = 2
    var remainder = numberToFactor

    while (remainder >= 2) {
        if (remainder % divisor == 0) {
            factors.add(divisor)
            remainder /= divisor
        } else {
            divisor++
        }
    }
    return factors
}

Conclusion

Developers who are too clever for their own good write cryptic code to brag. Smart developers write clean code. Clear beats clever!

Credits

• Code Smell 06 - Too Clever Programmer by Maximiliano Contieri