# Code Smell 06 - Too Clever Programmer > TL;DR: Don't try to look too smart. Clean code emphasizes readability and simplicity. # Problems πŸ˜” - Readability - Maintainability - Code Quality - Premature Optimization # Solutions πŸ˜ƒ - Refactor the code - Use [good names](https://maximilianocontieri.com/what-exactly-is-a-name-part-i-the-quest) - Refactor tricky code - Prefer clarity first - Avoid hidden tricks - Optimize only later with strong real evidence # Refactorings βš™οΈ %[https://maximilianocontieri.com/refactoring-005-replace-comment-with-function-name] # Examples - Optimized loops # Context πŸ’¬ You might feel the urge to show off your skills with complex tricks or cryptic names. This makes your code harder to read, debug, and extend. You must remember that you write code for humans, not machines. # Sample Code πŸ“– ## Wrong 🚫 ```javascript function primeFactors(n) { var f = [], i = 0, d = 2; for (i = 0; n >= 2; ) { if(n % d == 0) { f[i++]=(d); n /= d; } else { d++; } } return f; } ``` ## Right πŸ‘‰ ```javascript function primeFactors(numberToFactor) { var factors = [], divisor = 2, remainder = numberToFactor; while(remainder>=2) { if(remainder % divisor === 0) { factors.push(divisor); remainder = remainder / divisor; } else { divisor++; } } return factors; } ``` # Detection πŸ” [X] Semi-Automatic Automatic detection is possible in some languages. Look for warnings about complexity, bad names, post-increment variables, and similar patterns. # Exceptions πŸ›‘ - Optimized code for low-level operations. # Tags 🏷️ - Complexity - # Level πŸ”‹ [X] Intermediate # Why the Bijection Is Important πŸ—ΊοΈ When you keep a clear [bijection](https://maximilianocontieri.com/the-one-and-only-software-design-principle) between your program and the [MAPPER](https://maximilianocontieri.com/what-is-wrong-with-software), other developers can understand it quickly. Clever tricks break this mapping and force future readers to guess instead of reading. # AI Generation AI models sometimes generate clever one-liners or compressed solutions. They might look smart but lack readability and semantics. # AI Detection 🧲 AI assistants can rewrite clever code into readable code if you instruct them to prefer clarity to optimization. ## Try Them! πŸ›  *Remember: AI Assistants make lots of mistakes* > Suggested Prompt: correct=Remove cleverness from code | Without Proper Instructions | With Specific Instructions | | -------- | ------- | | [ChatGPT](https://chat.openai.com/?q=Correct+and+explain+this+code%3A+%60%60%60javascript%0D%0Afunction+primeFactors%28n%29+%7B%0D%0A++var+f+%3D+%5B%5D%2C++i+%3D+0%2C+d+%3D+2%3B++%0D%0A++%0D%0A++for+%28i+%3D+0%3B+n+%3E%3D+2%3B+%29+%7B%0D%0A+++++if%28n+%25+d+%3D%3D+0%29+%7B%0D%0A+++++++f%5Bi%2B%2B%5D%3D%28d%29%3B+%0D%0A+++++++n+%2F%3D+d%3B%0D%0A++++%7D%0D%0A++++else+%7B%0D%0A++++++d%2B%2B%3B%0D%0A++++%7D+++++%0D%0A++%7D%0D%0A++return+f%3B%0D%0A%7D%0D%0A%60%60%60) | [ChatGPT](https://chat.openai.com/?q=correct%3DRemove+cleverness+from+code%3A+%60%60%60javascript%0D%0Afunction+primeFactors%28n%29+%7B%0D%0A++var+f+%3D+%5B%5D%2C++i+%3D+0%2C+d+%3D+2%3B++%0D%0A++%0D%0A++for+%28i+%3D+0%3B+n+%3E%3D+2%3B+%29+%7B%0D%0A+++++if%28n+%25+d+%3D%3D+0%29+%7B%0D%0A+++++++f%5Bi%2B%2B%5D%3D%28d%29%3B+%0D%0A+++++++n+%2F%3D+d%3B%0D%0A++++%7D%0D%0A++++else+%7B%0D%0A++++++d%2B%2B%3B%0D%0A++++%7D+++++%0D%0A++%7D%0D%0A++return+f%3B%0D%0A%7D%0D%0A%60%60%60) | | [Claude](https://claude.ai/new?q=Correct+and+explain+this+code%3A+%60%60%60javascript%0D%0Afunction+primeFactors%28n%29+%7B%0D%0A++var+f+%3D+%5B%5D%2C++i+%3D+0%2C+d+%3D+2%3B++%0D%0A++%0D%0A++for+%28i+%3D+0%3B+n+%3E%3D+2%3B+%29+%7B%0D%0A+++++if%28n+%25+d+%3D%3D+0%29+%7B%0D%0A+++++++f%5Bi%2B%2B%5D%3D%28d%29%3B+%0D%0A+++++++n+%2F%3D+d%3B%0D%0A++++%7D%0D%0A++++else+%7B%0D%0A++++++d%2B%2B%3B%0D%0A++++%7D+++++%0D%0A++%7D%0D%0A++return+f%3B%0D%0A%7D%0D%0A%60%60%60) | [Claude](https://claude.ai/new?q=correct%3DRemove+cleverness+from+code%3A+%60%60%60javascript%0D%0Afunction+primeFactors%28n%29+%7B%0D%0A++var+f+%3D+%5B%5D%2C++i+%3D+0%2C+d+%3D+2%3B++%0D%0A++%0D%0A++for+%28i+%3D+0%3B+n+%3E%3D+2%3B+%29+%7B%0D%0A+++++if%28n+%25+d+%3D%3D+0%29+%7B%0D%0A+++++++f%5Bi%2B%2B%5D%3D%28d%29%3B+%0D%0A+++++++n+%2F%3D+d%3B%0D%0A++++%7D%0D%0A++++else+%7B%0D%0A++++++d%2B%2B%3B%0D%0A++++%7D+++++%0D%0A++%7D%0D%0A++return+f%3B%0D%0A%7D%0D%0A%60%60%60) | | [Perplexity](https://www.perplexity.ai/?q=Correct+and+explain+this+code%3A+%60%60%60javascript%0D%0Afunction+primeFactors%28n%29+%7B%0D%0A++var+f+%3D+%5B%5D%2C++i+%3D+0%2C+d+%3D+2%3B++%0D%0A++%0D%0A++for+%28i+%3D+0%3B+n+%3E%3D+2%3B+%29+%7B%0D%0A+++++if%28n+%25+d+%3D%3D+0%29+%7B%0D%0A+++++++f%5Bi%2B%2B%5D%3D%28d%29%3B+%0D%0A+++++++n+%2F%3D+d%3B%0D%0A++++%7D%0D%0A++++else+%7B%0D%0A++++++d%2B%2B%3B%0D%0A++++%7D+++++%0D%0A++%7D%0D%0A++return+f%3B%0D%0A%7D%0D%0A%60%60%60) | [Perplexity](https://www.perplexity.ai/?q=correct%3DRemove+cleverness+from+code%3A+%60%60%60javascript%0D%0Afunction+primeFactors%28n%29+%7B%0D%0A++var+f+%3D+%5B%5D%2C++i+%3D+0%2C+d+%3D+2%3B++%0D%0A++%0D%0A++for+%28i+%3D+0%3B+n+%3E%3D+2%3B+%29+%7B%0D%0A+++++if%28n+%25+d+%3D%3D+0%29+%7B%0D%0A+++++++f%5Bi%2B%2B%5D%3D%28d%29%3B+%0D%0A+++++++n+%2F%3D+d%3B%0D%0A++++%7D%0D%0A++++else+%7B%0D%0A++++++d%2B%2B%3B%0D%0A++++%7D+++++%0D%0A++%7D%0D%0A++return+f%3B%0D%0A%7D%0D%0A%60%60%60) | | [Copilot](https://www.bing.com/chat?showconv=1&sendquery=1&q=Correct+and+explain+this+code%3A+%60%60%60javascript%0D%0Afunction+primeFactors%28n%29+%7B%0D%0A++var+f+%3D+%5B%5D%2C++i+%3D+0%2C+d+%3D+2%3B++%0D%0A++%0D%0A++for+%28i+%3D+0%3B+n+%3E%3D+2%3B+%29+%7B%0D%0A+++++if%28n+%25+d+%3D%3D+0%29+%7B%0D%0A+++++++f%5Bi%2B%2B%5D%3D%28d%29%3B+%0D%0A+++++++n+%2F%3D+d%3B%0D%0A++++%7D%0D%0A++++else+%7B%0D%0A++++++d%2B%2B%3B%0D%0A++++%7D+++++%0D%0A++%7D%0D%0A++return+f%3B%0D%0A%7D%0D%0A%60%60%60) | [Copilot](https://www.bing.com/chat?showconv=1&sendquery=1&q=correct%3DRemove+cleverness+from+code%3A+%60%60%60javascript%0D%0Afunction+primeFactors%28n%29+%7B%0D%0A++var+f+%3D+%5B%5D%2C++i+%3D+0%2C+d+%3D+2%3B++%0D%0A++%0D%0A++for+%28i+%3D+0%3B+n+%3E%3D+2%3B+%29+%7B%0D%0A+++++if%28n+%25+d+%3D%3D+0%29+%7B%0D%0A+++++++f%5Bi%2B%2B%5D%3D%28d%29%3B+%0D%0A+++++++n+%2F%3D+d%3B%0D%0A++++%7D%0D%0A++++else+%7B%0D%0A++++++d%2B%2B%3B%0D%0A++++%7D+++++%0D%0A++%7D%0D%0A++return+f%3B%0D%0A%7D%0D%0A%60%60%60) | | [You](https://you.com/search?q=Correct+and+explain+this+code%3A+%60%60%60javascript%0D%0Afunction+primeFactors%28n%29+%7B%0D%0A++var+f+%3D+%5B%5D%2C++i+%3D+0%2C+d+%3D+2%3B++%0D%0A++%0D%0A++for+%28i+%3D+0%3B+n+%3E%3D+2%3B+%29+%7B%0D%0A+++++if%28n+%25+d+%3D%3D+0%29+%7B%0D%0A+++++++f%5Bi%2B%2B%5D%3D%28d%29%3B+%0D%0A+++++++n+%2F%3D+d%3B%0D%0A++++%7D%0D%0A++++else+%7B%0D%0A++++++d%2B%2B%3B%0D%0A++++%7D+++++%0D%0A++%7D%0D%0A++return+f%3B%0D%0A%7D%0D%0A%60%60%60) | [You](https://you.com/search?q=correct%3DRemove+cleverness+from+code%3A+%60%60%60javascript%0D%0Afunction+primeFactors%28n%29+%7B%0D%0A++var+f+%3D+%5B%5D%2C++i+%3D+0%2C+d+%3D+2%3B++%0D%0A++%0D%0A++for+%28i+%3D+0%3B+n+%3E%3D+2%3B+%29+%7B%0D%0A+++++if%28n+%25+d+%3D%3D+0%29+%7B%0D%0A+++++++f%5Bi%2B%2B%5D%3D%28d%29%3B+%0D%0A+++++++n+%2F%3D+d%3B%0D%0A++++%7D%0D%0A++++else+%7B%0D%0A++++++d%2B%2B%3B%0D%0A++++%7D+++++%0D%0A++%7D%0D%0A++return+f%3B%0D%0A%7D%0D%0A%60%60%60) | | [Gemini](https://gemini.google.com/) | [Gemini](https://gemini.google.com/) | | [DeepSeek](https://chat.deepseek.com/) | [DeepSeek](https://chat.deepseek.com/) | | [Meta AI](https://www.meta.ai/chat) | [Meta AI](https://www.meta.ai/) | | [Grok](https://grok.com/) | [Grok](https://grok.com/) | | [Qwen](https://chat.qwen.ai/) | [Qwen](https://chat.qwen.ai/) | # Conclusion 🏁 Clever developers write cryptic code to brag. Smart developers write clean code. Clear beats clever. # Relations πŸ‘©β€β€οΈβ€πŸ’‹β€πŸ‘¨ %[https://maximilianocontieri.com/code-smell-02-constants-and-magic-numbers] %[https://maximilianocontieri.com/code-smell-20-premature-optimization] %[https://maximilianocontieri.com/code-smell-44-magic-corrections] %[https://maximilianocontieri.com/code-smell-41-regular-expression-abusers] %[https://maximilianocontieri.com/code-smell-78-callback-hell] %[https://maximilianocontieri.com/code-smell-51-double-negatives] %[https://maximilianocontieri.com/code-smell-33-abbreviations] %[https://maximilianocontieri.com/code-smell-48-code-without-standards] %[https://maximilianocontieri.com/code-smell-196-javascript-array-constructors] %[https://maximilianocontieri.com/code-smell-25-pattern-abusers] %[https://maximilianocontieri.com/code-smell-93-send-me-anything] %[https://maximilianocontieri.com/code-smell-145-short-circuit-hack] %[https://maximilianocontieri.com/code-smell-212-elvis-operator] %[https://maximilianocontieri.com/code-smell-180-bitwise-optimizations] %[https://maximilianocontieri.com/code-smell-129-structural-optimizations] %[https://maximilianocontieri.com/code-smell-32-singletons] %[https://maximilianocontieri.com/code-smell-21-anonymous-functions-abusers] %[https://maximilianocontieri.com/code-smell-24-boolean-coercions] %[https://maximilianocontieri.com/code-smell-69-big-bang-javascript-ridiculous-castings] # More Information πŸ“• %[https://ardalis.com/are-boolean-flags-on-methods-a-code-smell/] # Also Known as - Obfuscator # Credits πŸ™ Photo by [NeONBRAND](https://unsplash.com/@neonbrand) on [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/s/photos/smart-brain) * * * > Programming can be fun, so can cryptography; however they should not be combined. _Kreitzberg & Shneiderman_ %[https://maximilianocontieri.com/software-engineering-great-quotes] * * * This article is part of the CodeSmell Series. %[https://maximilianocontieri.com/how-to-find-the-stinky-parts-of-your-code]