Solid and Clean Code never felt solid or clean to me
The author reflects on their discomfort with the terms "solid" and "clean" in software engineering, arguing that these concepts often enforce rigid, dogmatic rules that don't account for real-world complexity, practical context, or evolving project needs.
Background
- "Solid" and "Clean Code" refer to the SOLID principles (five object-oriented design rules by Robert C. Martin) and the book *Clean Code* (also by Martin), both deeply influential in software engineering since the early 2000s.
- The author, a Chilean developer, pushes back against these orthodoxies, arguing they make code harder to change, not easier — a view that echoes a growing backlash in the industry (e.g., critics like Dan North and Kevlin Henney).
- The post is part of a broader debate: many junior-to-mid-level engineers treat SOLID/Clean Code as gospel, while a vocal minority argues they lead to over-engineering, indirection, and fragility in real-world projects.
- "TypeScript" is a typed superset of JavaScript; the author uses it as a concrete example of where applying SOLID/Clean Code patterns causes unnecessary complexity.