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Code hygiene, known in some circles as code cleanliness or readable code, refers to the set of practices and principles that promote maintainable, understandable, and robust computer program source code. It emphasizes writing clear, consistent, and well-organized code so that developers can easily comprehend, modify, and extend it over time. Code hygiene is considered a key aspect of software quality assurance and developer productivity.

The core tenets of code hygiene include naming consistency, modular design, meaningful abstractions, and minimal code duplication. Good variable and function names reflect intent, while functions are kept small and focused on single responsibilities. Avoiding “spaghetti code” by using structured control flow, clear separation of concerns, and well‑designed data models helps reduce complexity. Comments should document *why* rather than *what*, and inline documentation may be used sparingly for very complex logic. Consistent formatting and indentation, enforced by code style guides or automated formatting tools, make scanned review faster and less error‑prone.

Linting, static analysis, and automated formatting tools are common enforcers. Projects often adopt style guides such as PEP 8 for Python, Google Java Style Guide, or AirBnB’s JavaScript style guide. Automated CI pipelines run linters and formatting checks before code merges, ensuring new changes adhere to hygiene standards.

Maintaining code hygiene has direct benefits: faster onboarding of new developers, reduced defect rates, easier refactoring, and lower long‑term maintenance costs. When code is clean, teams can spot bugs more quickly, adapt to new requirements faster, and manage technical debt proactively. Consequently, many organizations treat code hygiene as a development discipline, integrating it into coding standards, peer reviews, and continuous integration workflows.