Beyond “Clean Code”: Why Your Comments Matter

By Tom Moertel Posted on July 27, 2026 Tags: code, comments, clean code, good code, nature of code, purpose of code, source code, definitions, theory, philosophy, engineering culture I have argued that comments are necessary in good code. My rationale, in short, is that your code’s logic can only express one thing clearly and faithfully: what you actually instructed the computing device to do. But your code’s audience—the people who will read and maintain your code—must also understand what you intended the device to do and the all-important “why” information behind your coding decisions. To the extent that your programming language lets you express these things naturally in your logic, you should do so. But don’t contort your logic to accommodate intent and “why” information that would be easier for your audience to understand in natural language. Just use a comment! That’s what comments are for! To let you speak directly to your audience in plain language. But not everyone agrees.…