What is K.I.S.S.

At one point in time you probably heard this phrase from a co-worker, parent, or teacher: "Keep It Simple Stupid." No they did not call you stupid. K.I.S.S. simply means that the task you are working on is oddly complex (i.e., stupid) and the best way to approach a "stupid" problem is with simplicity in mind. By doing so you can solve the complexity without adding any additional oddities. Easier said than done.

• Don't bang your head against the wall:
  • You'll be better off taking a 15-minute break and coming back once your brain fog has cleared.
• Pen and Paper:
  • Write out the problem break it down into the simplest form.
  • This is where modularization should start.
• Comment your code:
  • While you are in your IDE you'll want to streamline figuring out what you wrote yesterday or the day before.
• Talk the problem out with someone:
  • This person could be a programmer or not. However, explaining your problem to someone will give you insights on how well you understand the problem yourself.
• Don't overcomplicate your code:
  • If you think your solution is complicated so will the next person who maintains it. Go back to pen and paper and see if you can't figure another way out. Chances are you will.
  • This one comes with experience, but it's always good to refactor code you think could be better. As you will learn a lot from your mistakes.