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Posted on Jul 16

How I Write Code That I Don’t Hate Reading a Week Later

#webdev #programming #javascript #java

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Let’s be honest — sometimes our code is like a cryptic message from our past selves.

You open a file, stare at a function, and say:
“Who wrote this garbage?”
Then you realize: it was you… last Tuesday.

The truth is: writing “working code” is easy. Writing readable code — code you won’t hate revisiting in a week, month, or year — is a different skill entirely.

Over time, I’ve adopted a few habits that make my future self silently thank my past self. Here’s how I do it.

1. I Pretend I’m Not the Future Reader

When I’m writing code, I assume the next person reading it:

Has no context
Is in a rush
Might not be me

Even if it is me, I won’t remember why I used a weird workaround or named that function processAll(). That mindset makes me write code like I’m explaining it to someone else, not just executing instructions.

✅ Mental model: “If I handed this to a junior dev tomorrow, would they rage-quit?”

2. I Leave Breadcrumbs (Tiny Comments, Not Essays)

I don’t write big comment blocks that rot over time. Instead, I leave short, targeted comments for weird logic or hidden assumptions:

# API expects ISO 8601 without milliseconds
formatted_date = datetime.utcnow().strftime('%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ')

Or:

// Must sort before filtering to match backend expectations
data.sort().filter(...)

These 5-word hints are often more valuable than full docstrings. They help you skip mental gymnastics.

3. I Don’t Get Clever

Clever code is like a magic trick: impressive the first time, confusing every other time.

So instead of doing this:

# Fancy one-liner
result = [x for x in items if x and x.status == "active" and not x.deleted]

I do this:

# Filter only active, non-deleted items
result = []
for item in items:
    if item and item.status == "active" and not item.deleted:
        result.append(item)

The second version is 100ms slower, but 10x easier to scan. Future me wins.

4. I Name Things as If I’m Writing a Tweet

Bad: d
Okay: data
Good: user_profile_data
Best: parsed_user_profile_data

Long, descriptive variable names aren’t a bad thing if they eliminate guesswork.

You should be able to answer “what is this?” without looking back at 20 lines of setup.

And if you're in a hurry? Add more info:

const responseFromUserSettingsApi = ...

It’s verbose, sure. But one week later, it reads like a sentence.

5. I Write Little Narratives With Function Names

Functions should tell a story.

❌ handle()
✅ handleLoginFormSubmission()

❌ processData()
✅ transformPostsIntoSummaryCards()

Descriptive functions also help when skimming files fast. I’ll often turn large functions into smaller helpers like:

func normalizeInputFields() {}
func validateEmailFormat() {}
func generateUserToken() {}

Each one is like a sentence in a story.

6. I Use Code Fences in Commits & PRs

I treat commit messages and pull request descriptions like markdown blog posts. If there’s any non-obvious behavior, I write:

### What this fixes
- Handles empty cart case on checkout

### Why
- Bug report #245: clicking "Buy" on empty cart crashed frontend

### How
- Added guard clause in CartService
- Updated test_cart.py

### Before
App crashed with null pointer

### After
App redirects to homepage

Even if no one reads it, I do later, and it helps tremendously.

7. I Stop When It Feels Gross

You know the feeling: You’re adding one more if, one more else, and suddenly… the function is 80 lines long and you hate every bit of it.

When that happens, I stop.

I might:

Extract logic into a new function
Refactor into a class
Comment the intent and revisit later

Messy code tends to become messier. Catching that early and breaking things apart saves hours of future debugging.

Bonus: Tools That Help Me Write Cleaner Code

Prettier – Consistent formatting for JS, TS, HTML, etc.
Black – Auto-formatting for Python
Refactoring.guru – Amazing site for patterns + bad-code recovery
CodeSpell – Finds common misspellings
AI tools – ChatGPT or GitHub Copilot can refactor awkward chunks into readable blocks.

The One-Liner Rule

“Write code like you’ll have to debug it at 2AM, half-asleep, with a deadline, while someone watches over your shoulder.”

That future self will thank you for:

Clear names
Honest comments
Simple logic
No clever hacks

Final Thought

The mark of a good developer isn’t just building systems that work — it’s writing code that remains kind, even after time passes.

If you’ve ever opened an old file and whispered “WTF is this?” — you’re not alone.
But with a few mindful habits, your code can become a gift to future you, not a curse.

💬 What’s your #1 habit for writing code you don’t hate later?

Let’s swap strategies in the comments 👇

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Fast, offline-friendly tool to create logs, docs, and articles without fuss.

Happy coding 🧠⚙️

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