The author of the video is apparently referring to Uncle Bob’s first book (Clean code, 2009), which essentially says that “Clean” code is “understandable” code: created with care, thinking about the next reader.
So yeah, the book then goes on for a painful 450 page ramble, opinions, and admittedly arbitrary rules. But Martin was at least partially aware of this:
“Clean code is not written by following a set of rules” — quote from the book!
So really, the person in the video failed to apply the Principle of Charity, which is fundamental in critical thinking. They end up not addressing the interesting claim, and openly attacking a Straw Man.
As for the deeper points implied in the video, they seem –ironically– less fresh:
- Software is slow these days - Performance matters - The way you write code impacts performance - Don't blindly follow rules and generic advice
Groundbreaking!
If anything, the video shows the failures of C++ as a language. Why aren't languages designed to promote maintainability without sacrificing performance? :Rust enters the room:
The more interesting claim that the video's author missed:
“It is not enough for code to work.” ― quote from the book