What is Clean Code?

Clean code principles, popularized by Robert C. Martin, emphasize readability as a primary concern. Key practices include meaningful variable and function names that reveal intent, small functions that do one thing, consistent formatting, minimal comments (code should be self-explanatory), no code duplication (DRY), proper error handling, and clear separation of concerns. Clean code is not just about aesthetics — it directly impacts maintainability, bug density, and team velocity. The boy scout rule encourages leaving code cleaner than you found it, enabling continuous improvement of codebase quality.