Clean Code for Beginners — 7 Naming and Function Rules

Interviewers read your project code. Reviewers judge your PRs. These seven rules are most of what "clean" means.

The rules with receipts

1. Names say what, honestly:

// ❌ const d = new Date(); function proc(x) {}
// ✅ const enrollmentDate = new Date(); function calculateGpa(marks) {}

2. Booleans read as questions: isEligible, hasArrears, canSubmit.

3. Early return beats nesting:

// ❌ if (user) { if (user.active) { if (!user.banned) { ... } } }
// ✅
if (!user?.active || user.banned) return;
// happy path continues un-indented

4. No magic numbers: if (cgpa >= MIN_PLACEMENT_CGPA) not >= 6.5.

5. Functions do one thing — if the name needs "And", split it.

6. Delete dead code — git remembers; comments-as-graveyard confuse readers.

7. Comments explain WHY, never what: // AU rounds credits down per R2021 reg 4.2 is gold; // loop over array is noise.

Consistency beats cleverness — code is read 10x more than written.