Clean Code with Kotlin

Abstract:
With Kotlin we are able to write concise, expressive, and safe code. Sounds like clean code, doesn’t it?
During this presentation, we will recap what clean code is, we will highlight the importance of defining meaningful names and how to write clean functions and classes.
Finally, we will be able to learn more about the advantages of immutability and how to handle the errors in Kotlin.
By the end of the session, you will have a better understanding of what clean code means and you will learn a series of tips and tricks ready to be applied in your code.
“Coding is not a sprint, is a marathon” so join my session and let’s exercise together with our clean code skills.

Transcript

1. Clean Code with Kotlin
2. What is Clean Code? “Express your intentions clearly to the reader of the code. Unreadable code isn’t clever.” Venkat Subramaniam
5. MEANINGFUL NAMES
6. A name should reveal intent and should answer at these questions: • Why it exists? • What it does? • How it is used? Use intention-revealing names
7. Examples Types Names Classes and Objects , , Methods Solution domain names Problem domain names
8. “UNCLEAN” CODE CLEAN CODE
9. if (t % 5 == 0) { val w = t / 5 println("$w week(s)") } else { println("$t days") } TODO: display the number of days/weeks until an offer will expire
10. if (daysUntilOfferEnds % numberOfDaysInAWeek == 0) { val numberOfWeeks = daysUntilOfferEnds / numberOfDaysInAWeek println("$numberOfWeeks week(s)") } else { println("$daysUntilOfferEnds days") } TODO: display the number of days/weeks until an offer will expire
11. class Address { var addressCountry: String? = null var addressCity: String? = null var addressStreety: String? = null var addressStreetNo: Int = 0 } TODO: define a class for geo addresses
12. class Address { var country: String? = null var city: String? = null var street: String? = null var streetNumber: Int = 0 } TODO: define a class for geo addresses
13. users.filter{ it.job == Job.Developer } .map{ it.birthDate.dayOfMonth } .filter{ it <= 10 } .min() Warning: Use explicit argument names and avoid using too often “it”
14. users.filter{ user -> user.job == Job.Developer } .map{ developer -> developer.birthDate.dayOfMonth } .filter { birthDay -> birthDay <= 10 } .min() Warning: Use explicit argument names and avoid using too often “it”
15. Say YES to immutability • Prefer to use val over var • Prefer to use read-only properties over mutable properties • Prefer to use read-only collections over mutable collections • Prefer to use data classes that give us copy()
16. FUNCTIONS
17. Functions are the verbs of the language, and classes are the nouns.
18. Basic Rules: ➔ The functions should be small ➔ The functions should be smaller than that Make it smaller
19. Extra Rules: ➔ No many arguments ➔ No side effects ➔ Indent level max 2 Make it smaller
20. fun parseProduct(response: Response?): Product? { if (response == null) { throw ClientException("Response is null") } val code: Int = response.code() if (code == 200 || code == 201) { return mapToDTO(response.body()) } if (code >= 400 && code <= 499) { throw ClientException("Invalid request") } if (code >= 500 && code <= 599) { throw ClientException("Server error") } throw ClientException("Error $code") }
21. fun parseProduct(response: Response?) = when (response?.code()){ null -> throw ClientException("Response is null") 200, 201 -> mapToDTO(response.body()) in 400..499 -> throw ClientException("Invalid request") in 500..599 -> throw ClientException("Server error") else -> throw ClientException("Error ${response.code()}") }
22. for (user in users) { if(user.subscriptions != null) { if (user.subscriptions.size > 0) { var isYoungerThan30 = user.isYoungerThan30() if (isYoungerThan30) { countUsers++ } } } } WARNING: keep the abstraction level consistent and avoid nested code
23. var countUsersYoungerThan30WithSubscriptions = 0 for (user in users) { if (user.isYoungerThan30WithSubscriptions) { countUsersYoungerThan30WithSubscriptions++; } } WARNING: keep the abstraction level consistent and avoid nested code
24. Command Query Separation Command Query Output System System System Changed state Output (result) Changed state Output (result)
25. override fun onSaveInstanceState(outState: Bundle) { super.onSaveInstanceState(outState) outState.putString(KEY_USER_NAME, username) } Command
26. fun getProfileInfo(account: SignInAccount): UserProfile { var userProfile = UserProfile() if (account != null) { userProfile.name = account.displayName userProfile.email = account.email userProfile.id = account.id } return userProfile } Query
27. CLASSES Dog Cat Baby Dog Pet
28. Class organization • A class should be smaller than small. • It should have only one responsibility and a single reason to change. • A class collaborates with a few others to achieve the desired system behaviors.
29. The newspaper metaphor
30. Cohesion • Cohesion is a measure of the degree to which the elements of the class/ module are functionally related. • When classes lose cohesion, split them.
31. Cohesion
32. Coupling • Coupling is the measure of the degree of interdependence between the modules. • This isolation makes it easier to understand each element of the system.
33. Coupling
34. Best case scenario Cohesion Coupling
35. Principles 1. DRY 2. KISS 3. YAGNI 4. SOLID
36. • Don’t Repeat Yourself • Applicable whenever we copy / paste a piece of code D.R.Y.
37. • Keep It Simple and Stupid • Whenever we want to implement a method to do all things K.I.S.S.
38. • You Ain’t Gonna Need It • Don’t write code which is not yet necessary Y.A.G.N.I.
39. • Single responsibility (SRP) • Open-closed (OCP) • Liskov substitution (LSP) • Interface segregation (ISP) • Dependency inversion (DIP) S.O.L.I.D.
40. ERROR HANDLING
41. • Prefer exceptions to returning error codes. • Error handling is important, but if it obscures logic, it’s wrong. • In Kotlin we have only unchecked exceptions. • Define dedicated exception classes. • Don’t return or pass null. Error handling
42. • IndexOutOfBoundsException • NoSuchElementException • IllegalArgumentException • ... Say YES to standard exceptions
43. fun reportError(): Nothing { throw RuntimeException("Nothing is here") } Nothing is something...
44. fun computeSqrt(number: Double): Double { if(number >= 0) { return Math.sqrt(number) } else { throw RuntimeException("No negative please") } } Nothing is something...
45. fun getMovie(id: Int): Movie { val movie = movieRepository.findMovie(id) return movie ?: throw RuntimeException("Movie not found") } Throw exceptions
46. sealed class MovieSearchResult data class MovieFound(val movie: Movie) : MovieSearchResult() object MovieNotFound : MovieSearchResult() object DatabaseOffline : MovieSearchResult() fun displayMovieResult(movieResult: MovieSearchResult) { when(movieResult) { is MovieFound -> println("yey, we found the movie") is MovieNotFound -> TODO() } } Return result class Missing branches?!
47. val <T> T.exhaustive: T get() = this fun displayMovieResult(movieResult: MovieSearchResult) { when(movieResult) { is MovieFound -> println("yey, we found the movie") is MovieNotFound -> TODO() }.exhaustive } Return result class Compilation error = 'when' expression must be exhaustive, add necessary 'DatabaseOffline' branch or 'else' branch instead (do NOT add else)
48. inputStream.use { outputStream.use { // do something with the streams outputStream.write(inputStream.read()) } } “try-with-resources” in Kotlin - initial solution
49. arrayOf(inputStream, outputStream).use { // do something with the streams outputStream.write(inputStream.read()) } “try-with-resources” in Kotlin - improved solution
50. private inline fun <T : Closeable?> Array<T>.use(block: ()->Unit) { // implementation } use implementation
51. COMMENTS We are best friends forever...
52. Don’t add comments on the bad code, just rewrite it until it’s self-explanatory Comments rule
53. // Check to see if the employee is eligible for full benefits if (employee.rate.equalsIgnoreCase("hours") && employee.objectivesDone > 3) if (employee.isEligibleForFullBenefits())
54. /** Copyright (c) <year> <copyright holders> Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell */ Legal comments
55. fun compareTo(o: Any): Int { if (o is Employee) { val employee: Employee = o as Employee val username: String = employee.username val argumentUsername: String = (o as Employee).username return username.compareTo(argumentUsername) } return 1 // we are greater because we are the right type } Explanation of intent
56. fun makeStandardDateFormat(): SimpleDateFormat? { //SimpleDateFormat is not thread safe, //so we need to create each instance independently. val df = SimpleDateFormat("EEE, dd MMM yyyy HH:mm: ss z") df.timeZone = TimeZone.getTimeZone("GMT") return df } Warning of consequences
57. fun sendEmail(employee: Employee) { //TODO send email } TODO comments
58. fun updateUserPoints(user: User, points: Int) { try { user.points += points } catch (e: java.lang.Exception) { // User not found } } Mumbling
59. fun updateUserPoints(user: User, points: Int) { try { user.points += points } // try catch (e: java.lang.Exception) { // User not found println("User not found") } // catch } Redundant & closing brace comments
60. class Log { /** The data. */ var data: String = "" /** The number of data. */ var numberOfData = 0 /** * Secondary constructor. */ constructor(data: String) { } } Noise and scary noise comments
61. Every time you write a comment, a cat is scared somewhere...
62. CODE REVIEW
63. 1. Help to improve the quality and consistency of the code 2. Exchange of knowledge and best practices 3. Learn the code base 4. New perspective(s) on your code 5. Learn new tips and tricks about writing code Code Review Advantages
64. Reviewer Author
65. Author
66. • Make sure you understand your task • Refactor the code if it’s unreadable • Write tests and follow the team conventions • Format your code before commit it Writing the code
67. The boy scout rule Leave the campground cleaner than you found it.
68. • Add relevant commit comments • Send pull requests often • Have minimum 2 reviewers (one is senior) Before the code review
69. • Be humble • You are on the same side with your reviewer(s) • Know when to unlearn the old habits After the code review
70. Reviewer
71. • I think… • I would… • I believe… • I suggest... Use I… comments
72. • Have you consider using… ? • What do you think about… ? • Have you tried to… ? Ask questions
73. • This code… • This function… • This line of code... It’s about the code, not about the coder
74. Feedback equation* Observation of a behavior Impact of the behavior Question or Request I observed this function has 60 lines. This makes it difficult for me to understand the logic. I suggest extracting a part of the code into other functions and give them relevant names. * Defined by Lara Hogan
75. 1. Define with your team a set of conventions 2. Justify technology use 3. Enforce good practices (XP) 4. Question until you understand 5. Criticize ideas, not people 6. Testing, testing, testing 7. Integrate early, integrate often 8. Emphasize collective ownership of code 9. Prioritize and actively evaluate trade-offs 10. Listen to users My summary
76. Coding is not a sprint It’s a marathon