delphi-clean-code

Delphi Clean Code — Skill

CRITICAL SKILL — Be concise, direct and solution-focused.

Fundamental Principles

| Principle | Rule | |-----------|-------| | SRP | A function/class does ONE thing | | DRY | Don't repeat code — extract and reuse | | KISS | Simplest solution that works | | YAGNI | Don't build what wasn't asked for | | Boy Scout | Leave the code better than you found it |

Naming Rules (Pascal Guide)

| Element | Convention | |----------|-----------| | Variables | Reveal intent: LCustomerCount not N | | Methods | Verb + noun: GetCustomerById not Customer | | Booleans | Question form: IsActive, HasPermission, CanEdit | | Constants | SCREAMING_SNAKE: MAX_RETRY_COUNT | | Fields | Prefix F: FCustomerName | | Parameters | Prefix A: ACustomerName | | Var. locations | Prefix L: LCustomer |

Rule: If you need a comment to explain a name, rename it.

Method Rules

| Rule | Description | |-------|-----------| | Short | Maximum 20 lines, ideal 5-10 | | One Thing | Do one thing and do it well | | One Level | One level of abstraction per method | | Few Args | Maximum 3 arguments, prefer 0-2 | | No Side Effects | Don't mute inputs unexpectedly |

Code Structure

| Standard | Application | |--------|-----------| | Guard Clauses | Early returns for edge cases | | Flat > Nested | Avoid deep nesting (max 2 levels) | | Composition | Small compound methods | | Colocation | Related code together |

Guard Clauses in Delphi

//❌ BAD — excessive nesting
procedure ProcessOrder(AOrder: TOrder);
begin
  if Assigned(AOrder) then
  begin
    if AOrder.Items.Count > 0 then
    begin
      if AOrder.IsValid then
      begin
        //real logic here
      end;
    end;
  end;
end;

//✅ BOM — guard clauses
procedure ProcessOrder(AOrder: TOrder);
begin
  if not Assigned(AOrder) then
    raise EArgumentNilException.Create('AOrder cannot be nil');
  if AOrder.Items.Count = 0 then
    raise EBusinessRuleException.Create('Order must have items');
  if not AOrder.IsValid then
    raise EValidationException.Create('Order validation failed');

  //real logic here — no nesting
end;

Anti-Patterns (DO NOT DO)

| ❌ Pattern | ✅ Fix | |-----------|------------| | Comment each line | Delete obvious comments | | Method > 20 lines | Share by responsibility | | Magic numbers | Named constants | | with statement | Explicit local variables | | Global variables | Constructor injection | | Generic Catch | Specific exceptions | | Logic in OnClick | Delegate to Service | | God class / God unity | One class = one responsibility | | Ignore Free | try/finally always |

Memory Management

//✅ Temporary objects — always try/finally
LList := TStringList.Create;
try
  LList.Add('item');
  //use LList
finally
  LList.Free;
end;

//✅ Interfaces — reference counting automático
var LService: IMyService;
LService := TMyService.Create; //automatically released

//✅ Owner pattern for visual components
LButton := TButton.Create(Self); //Self frees automatically

AI Code Style

| Situation | Action | |----------|------| | User requests feature | Write directly | | User reports bug | Correct, don't explain | | Requirement unclear | Ask, don't assume |

🔴 Before Editing (THINK FIRST!)

| Question | Why | |----------|---------| | Which units use this? | They can break | | What does this unit matter? | Interfaces can change | | What tests cover this? | Tests may fail | | Is it a shared component? | Multiple points affected |

🔴 Rule: Edit the file + all dependents in the SAME task.

🔴 Self-Check (MANDATORY)

| Check | Pergunta | |-------|----------| | ✅ Goal achieved? | Did I do exactly what was asked? | | ✅ Edited files? | Have I modified everything necessary? | | ✅ Does the code work? | Have I tested/verified? | | ✅ No errors? | Compiles without warnings? | | ✅ Nothing forgotten? | Edge cases treated? | | ✅ Memory safe? | Objects released correctly? |

🔴 Rule: If ANY check fails, correct it before finishing.