Writing code for the sake of code

It has come for me to write something on a topic every developer has heard at some point. With AI being integrated into our daily lives and AI assisting developers, I feel this would become more of an issue. Even before AI code and assistant tools came into existence this would occur. It's a problem that will naturally occur in the world of programming. Writing code just to write code. What does that mean? In my opinion, it means coding without any thought. Writing code without a clear purpose or plan can lead to various issues, especially for software developers working in a collaborative or long-term project setting.

Code Quality and Maintainability

Random code is often unstructured and lacks comments or coherent design, making it hard to read, maintain, or extend in the future. Clean, organized code is essential for a project to evolve without accumulating "technical debt" that could slow development and increase costs. Now I know that the concept of "clean code" itself is a polarizing discussion amongst software engineers and it has been that way for a long time. The clean code debate continues to exist in the programming world.

Projects in the corporate world go by fast, there is no time to refactor or "improve" the codebase, unlike personal projects which are created with no time restrictions. Even if the code makes me cringe I can't do anything to it unless I get approval from a tech lead or another dev on the team. So "bad code" continues to exist because "it works" mentality. This is very subjective and why code quality is the most debatable topic.

Increased Bug Risk

Writing code without a plan usually means skipping the design and testing phases, which increases the likelihood of introducing bugs. This can result in more time spent debugging and fixing issues down the line. I don't hate testing and see it as a necessary evil. Reasons others dislike testing due to its repetitive nature and or denial resulting in "Hey I did it myself, how can there be any errors? The tests are wrong." attitude. Worst case, the testing phases are skipped due to a lack of care or running out of project time. Mistakes can slip through the cracks and can be fixed. I don't want it worse by keeping moving without assessing the issue. Having a clear design before starting addresses obvious issues.

Wasted Resources

Coding without direction can lead to wasted time and effort if the code turns out to be unnecessary or incompatible with the rest of the project. In a team setting, this also wastes resources, as other developers may need to review or rework the code. Time is the biggest hurdle for a project. A project with tight deadlines is something you don't want to waste time on.

Lack of Cohesion and Structure

Unplanned code may not follow a project’s established architecture or conventions, leading to inconsistencies that make the codebase more complex and harder to understand. This fragmentation can affect how well components of the system integrate.

Poor Scalability

Random code often doesn’t consider scalability, which can be problematic as projects grow. Good design anticipates future needs and changes, whereas unplanned code usually requires significant refactoring to meet new requirements. The worst case is that starting from scratch over again. Scalability is another hurdle when migrating an existing project or updating it.

Failure to Meet User Needs

Without a clear goal, developers risk creating features or functionalities that don't align with user needs or project requirements. This may result in a product that fails to solve the problem it was intended to address. Users may want certain features and will make that clear by posting on social media or in focus groups. In corporate, it's the responsibility of product owners and business analysts to interpret user feedback. Personal and open-source projects' responses to user needs can vary.

Negative Team Dynamics

If everyone starts writing code without structure or discussion, collaboration suffers. Team members may work at cross-purposes or create overlapping functionality. This leads to inefficiencies and can frustrate team members trying to manage dependencies. I have seen team dynamics get ugly. It is not a very pleasant experience to be on the receiving end of this type of behavior. Low morale creates a sluggish pace due to the demotivation of team members.

Inconsistent Performance and Security

Code written without planning is likely to miss optimizations or security best practices. This can lead to slower performance, higher server costs, and vulnerabilities that open the project to security risks. Application security is something to learn, if there is sensitive data take steps to protect it from malicious actors. I don't consider myself a cybersecurity guru, but I learn application security practices.

Missed Documentation

Spontaneous code is less likely to be documented properly, leaving other team members (or even the original developer) confused about its purpose and functionality. This makes onboarding new developers and troubleshooting much more difficult. You hear other software developers and engineers who hate writing documentation and find it unnecessary. I write documentation in my code, but it is not the length of a novel and I like to use descriptive variable names. It's my preference, but it helps me keep track of what is in a project.

By following a structured, goal-oriented coding approach, developers can create code that is more maintainable, efficient, and aligned with project goals, ultimately leading to a more successful product. There have been many books on clean code and practices for programming. I read books and have seen many viewpoints. I want to reiterate I have my own opinions. I have agreed and disagreed with others on opinions on programming. Especially with the current rhetoric programming at the time of writing this, the differences in opinion are natural.