# Why clear, readable code is harder to write than clever code

DevFeed: [Why clear, readable code is harder to write than clever code](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/clever-code-is-probably-the-worst-code-you-could-write-39082.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://read.engineerscodex.com/p/clever-code-is-probably-the-worst>)

Author: Engineer's Codex

Published: 2023-11-20T09:58:13Z

Content type: opinion

Language: en

Sources: [Engineer's Codex](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/engineer-s-codex.md>)

Topics: [Code](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/code.md>), [Software Engineering](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/software-engineering.md>), [Code review](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/code-review.md>), [Refactoring](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/refactoring.md>), [C++](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/c-plus-plus.md>), [unit test](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/unit-test.md>)

Tags: [c-plus-plus](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/c-plus-plus.md>), [code](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/code.md>), [code-review](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/code-review.md>), [coverage](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/coverage.md>), [refactoring](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/refactoring.md>), [software](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/software.md>)

## AI overview

This opinion article argues that clever code, including code-golfing-style one-liners, is difficult to understand and debug. It contrasts that with clear, readable code and describes using smaller diffs, helper functions, refactoring, and reasonable unit test coverage to make a C++ change easier to review.

## Source excerpt

And clear, readable code is probably the hardest code to write