"Check the code IN cleaner than you checked it OUT - every single time."

🔸 TLDR

▪️ Make tiny cleanups on every change. Small wins ➜ big maintainability over time 🧩

🔸 CONTEXT

Uncle Bob’s “Boy Scout Rule” is simple:

▪️ Always leave the code a little cleaner than you found it — every single time ✅

Not a massive refactor. Not a rewrite. Just a small improvement that compounds. 📈

🔸 WHY IT WORKS

▪️ It fights “broken windows” 🪟 (mess invites more mess)

▪️ It keeps tech debt from silently snowballing ❄️

▪️ It makes reviews easier and future changes safer 🛡️

▪️ It turns “cleanup” into a habit, not a big scary project 🔁

🔸 WHAT “CLEANER” LOOKS LIKE (PRACTICAL EXAMPLES)

▪️ Rename a confusing variable (x ➜ discountRate) 🏷️

▪️ Extract a tiny method to remove duplication ✂️

▪️ Add one missing test for the bug you’re fixing ✅

▪️ Delete dead code / unused imports 🧹

▪️ Improve one error message or log line 🧾

▪️ Replace a “magic number” with a named constant 🔢

▪️ Add a short comment only where intent isn’t obvious 💬

🔸 HOW TO APPLY IT WITHOUT STARTING A WAR 😄

▪️ Keep it scoped: clean what you touch, not the whole module 🎯

▪️ Do it in small commits (or small PR chunks) 🧱

▪️ If cleanup is bigger than the task, flag it and plan it 🗺️

▪️ Align with team conventions (formatting, naming, architecture) 🤝

🔸 TAKEAWAYS

▪️ Consistency beats hero refactors 🦸‍♂️

▪️ “Cleaner” can be 1% better — but done daily, it’s huge 📆

▪️ Leave the campsite better than you found it ⛺➡️✨

▪️ Your future self (and teammates) will thank you 🙌

What’s your favorite “1% cleanup” move during a PR review? 👇

#CleanCode #SoftwareEngineering #Refactoring #CodeQuality #TechDebt #Programming #DeveloperExperience #TeamWork #BestPractices #Java #Spring #Architecture