Knowing when not to code

Knowing when not to code is possibly the most important skill a programmer can learn.

Getting too excited about writing code makes us blind. It causes us to ignore some important facts that can cause bigger problems we will have to deal with in the future. Every line of code you write is:

• code that has to be read and understood by other programmers

• code that has to be tested and debugged

• code that will increase defects in your software

• code that probably will introduce new bugs in the future

When to know when not to code

Programmers tend to overestimate how many features their project needs. Many features go unfinished or unused or simply make the application overcomplicated.

• Understanding the purpose of your software and its core definition is the first step to know when not to code.

• Never expand your software’s purpose.

• Knowing when not to code keeps your codebase small.

• Keep coding but know when to say no to coding.