Write code like a human will maintain it

Original post: Write code like a human will maintain it

Scott Robinson wrote this short piece which really resonated with me.

These days it seems like engineering principles, like DRY or code readability, can be ignored because we’re no longer writing code by hand.

However, LLMs are pretty good at imitating patterns they find, and if we don’t follow the usual best practices, the codebase degrades in a fraction of the time.

In Scott’s words:

LLM doesn’t write in a vacuum. It reads your codebase. The files you have open, the patterns that are already there, and the recent changes you’ve made. Every shortcut you merge into your codebase is a signal about how things are done here.

Keep your code clean, even if you’re no longer the one getting your hands dirty.