boy-scoutlisted

# The Boy Scout Rule > "Always leave the campground cleaner than you found it." > — Robert Baden-Powell > "Always check a module in cleaner than when you checked it out." > — Robert C. Martin, *Clean Code* ## The Philosophy You don't have to make every module perfect. You simply have to make it **a little bit better** than when you found it. If we all followed this simple rule: - Our systems would gradually get better as they evolved - Teams would care for the system as a whole - The relentless deterioration of software would end ## When Working on Code Every time you touch code, look for **at least one small improvement**: ### Quick Wins (Do These Immediately) - Rename a poorly named variable → triggers `clean-names` - Delete a redundant comment → triggers `clean-comments` - Remove dead code or unused imports - Replace a magic number with a named constant - Extract a deeply nested block into a well-named function ### Deeper Improvements (When Time Allows) - Split a function that does multiple things → triggers `clean-functions` - Remove duplication (DRY) → triggers `clean-general` - Add missing boundary checks - Improve test coverage → triggers `clean-tests` ## The Rule in Practice ```python # You're asked to fix a bug in this function: def proc(d, x, flag=False): # process data for i in d: if i > 0: if flag: x.append(i * 1.0825) # tax else: x.append(i) return x # Don't just fix the bug