Writing code is easy.
Writing code that your future self (or your teammates) won’t hate is the real challenge.
Every developer starts with bad coding habits.
The problem isn’t having them.
The problem is keeping them.
After reviewing countless repositories, working on production systems, fixing legacy code, and spending hours debugging simple mistakes, I’ve noticed the same habits appearing again and again.
Here are the biggest coding habits you should stop today.
1. โ Naming Variables Like a, x, temp, data
Bad:
const d = getData();
const x = d.filter((i) => i.active);
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Better:
const users = getUsers();
const activeUsers = users.filter((user) => user.active);
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Good variable names reduce the need for comments.
If someone needs to guess what a variable means…
…the name isn’t good enough.
2. โ Writing Massive Functions
If your function takes two minutes to read…
It’s too big.
Bad:
function processOrder() {
// 250+ lines
}
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Better:
validateOrder();
calculatePrice();
processPayment();
sendConfirmation();
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Small functions are easier to:
- Read
- Test
- Debug
- Reuse
3. โ Copy-Pasting Code Everywhere
We’ve all done it.
Ctrl + C
Ctrl + V
Ctrl + C
Ctrl + V
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Then one bug appears…
Now you have to fix it in 12 different places.
Instead:
- Create utility functions
- Extract reusable components
- Follow the DRY principle
4. โ Ignoring Error Handling
Bad:
const user = await getUser(id);
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Better:
try {
const user = await getUser(id);
} catch (error) {
console.error(error);
}
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Production code always fails eventually.
Prepare for it.
5. โ Writing Comments for Obvious Code
Bad:
// Increment i
i++;
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Good comments explain WHY, not WHAT.
Example:
// Retry because payment gateways occasionally timeout.
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That’s useful.
6. โ Hardcoding Everything
Bad:
const API_URL = "https://example.com/api";
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Better:
const API_URL = process.env.API_URL;
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Future deployments become much easier.
7. โ Never Refactoring
If your code works…
Great.
That doesn’t mean it’s good.
Every feature leaves technical debt.
Take time to clean it.
Future developers (including future you) will appreciate it.
8. โ Deep Nested Conditions
Bad:
if (user) {
if (user.isVerified) {
if (user.subscription) {
if (user.subscription.active) {
// do something
}
}
}
}
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Better:
if (!user) return;
if (!user.isVerified) return;
if (!user.subscription?.active) return;
doSomething();
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Early returns make code dramatically easier to read.
9. โ Not Using a Linter or Formatter
Formatting manually wastes time.
Use tools like:
- ESLint
- Prettier
Consistency matters more than personal preference.
10. โ Skipping Tests Because “It Works”
“It works on my machine.”
Every developer has said it.
Every developer has regretted it.
Even a few unit tests can prevent hours of debugging later.
Bonus Habit
โ Not Reading Your Own Code
After writing a feature…
Close the editor.
Take a short break.
Come back 20 minutes later.
Read your code as if someone else wrote it.
You’ll be surprised how many improvements you’ll notice.
Remember
Clean code isn’t about impressing other developers.
It’s about making life easier for:
- Your teammates
- Your future self
- Anyone who has to maintain your code
Programming isn’t just about making computers understand.
It’s about making humans understand.
๐ฌ What Bad Habit Did You Finally Break?
I’d love to hear from other developers.
๐ What’s one coding habit you stopped doing that made the biggest difference?
Let’s help each other write better code.
โจ Thanks for Reading!
If this article helped you become a better developerโeven by 1%โthen it was worth writing.
Let’s keep learning, building, and growing together. ๐
โ Darshan Raval
Technology Lead โข Full Stack Developer โข Node.js & System Design Enthusiast
“Code is read far more often than it is written.”
โค๏ธ See you in the next post!
๋ต๊ธ ๋จ๊ธฐ๊ธฐ