Does your code have debt?

Good code is an asset, while Bad code is a liability. The liability also has a technical name as Tech/Code Debt.

Code debt arises when the delivered code is not very optimal requires refactoring. This debt can be due to faster delivery timelines, missing documentation, legacy/redundant code delivery without appropriating testing.

Code debt is similar to taking a loan. Businesses borrow money to fulfill ambitions that are not possible with the resources they currently have. Similarly, when the short-term gain is prioritized over long-term stability, you accumulate code debt.

Just as with monetary debt, you must be wise with code debt. Rushing out a feature to gain market edge and build upon the experience you may gain is purely rational. However, not putting in enough time and effort for refactoring will lead to unmaintained code, unknown issues, and stretched timelines. Finally, the code will be a mess.

Finally, Code debt should not be mistaken to be a mess. A mess is a mess. Code debt is a result of rational decisions. A code mess results from non-maintenance, following bad practices, and not putting appropriate resources for the needful.

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