Shorter Code Isn't Always Better: A Beginner Engineer's Case Study

A first-year software engineer with no prior experience reflected on the common programming advice that shorter code is inherently better. Using a classic matchstick problem, they compared a loop-based solution that mirrors the physical act of building squares against a compact one-line formula returning the same result. While the shorter formula produced correct answers, the engineer found it required numerical verification to trust, whereas the longer code communicated its intent clearly through readable variable names. Notably, the +1 in the formula could not be meaningfully named because it represents a calculation artifact rather than a real concept in the problem's domain. The engineer concluded that brevity can strip intent from code, and that the right form depends on whether the reasoning lives inside the code or outside it.