# Code Smell 74 - Empty Lines

*Breaking the code to favor readability asks for refactor.*

> TL;DR Don't add empty lines to your methods. Extract them!

# Problems

- Readability

- Kiss

- Low Reuse

# Solutions

1. Extract Method

2. Refactor

3. Remove unneeded lines.

# Sample Code

## Wrong

[Gist Url]: # (https://gist.github.com/mcsee/3e7f0a453f04d443a98d3ffd99d9bfde)
```php
<?

function translateFile() {
    $this->buildFilename();
    $this->readFile();
    $this->assertFileContentsAreOk();
    //A lot of lines more
    
    //Empty space to pause definition    
    $this->translateHiperLinks();
    $this->translateMetadata();
    $this->translatePlainText();
    
    //Yet Another empty space
    $this->generateStats();
    $this->saveFileContents();
    //A lot of more lines
}
```

## Right

[Gist Url]: # (https://gist.github.com/mcsee/13ce5551b29a588db5dbb9903d714b84)
```php
<?

function translateFile() {
    $this->readFileToMemoy();
    $this->translateContents();
    $this->saveFileContents();  
}
```

# Detection

This is a policy smell. Every linter can detect blank lines and warn us.

# Tags

- Readability

- Long Methods

# Conclusion

Empty lines are harmless, but show us an opportunity to break the code into small steps.

If you break your code with comments, it is also a code smell asking for a refactor.

# Relations

%[https://maximilianocontieri.com/code-smell-03-functions-are-too-long]

# Credits

Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@sigmund">Sigmund</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/empty">Unsplash</a>
  

* * *

> It’s OK to figure out murder mysteries, but you shouldn’t need to figure out code.  You should be able to read it.

_Steve McConnell_
 
%[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]