Is it possible to write good and understandable code without any comments?

Question

Can any one suggest what is the best way to write good code that is understandable without a single line of comments?

Answer 1

In most cases, yes, you can write code that is clear enough that comments become unnecessary noise.

The biggest problem with comments is there is no way to check their accuracy. I tend to agree with Uncle Bob Martin in chapter 4 of his book, Clean Code:

The proper use of comments is to compensate for our failure to express ourself in code. Note that I used the word failure. I meant it. Comments are always failures. We must have them because we cannot always figure out how to express ourselves without them, but their use is not a cause for celebration.

So when you find yourself in a position where you need to write a comment, think it through and see whether there isn’t some way to turn the tables and express yourself in code. Every time you express yourself in code, you should pat yourself on the back. Every time you write a comment, you should grimace and feel the failure of your ability of expression.

Most comments are either needless redundancy, outright fallacy or a crutch used to explain poorly written code. I say most because there are certain scenarios where the lack of expressiveness lies with the language rather than the programmer.

For instance the copyright and license information typically found at the beginning of a source file. As far as I'm aware no known construct exists for this in any of the popular languages. Since a simple one or two line comment suffices, its unlikely that such a construct will be added.

The original need for most comments has been replaced over time by better technology or practices. Using a change journal or commenting out code has been supplanted with source control systems. Explanatory comments in long functions can be mitigated by simply writing shorter functions. etc.