Elegant Code

Elegant code = Correctness + Clarity + Minimal complexity + Natural efficiency + Easy change.

Not "shortest" or "cleverest." The solution that makes readers think: "Of course. That's simple, right, and hard to mess up."

Optimization Priority (in order)

1. Correctness & safety — does what it claims, handles edge cases
2. Clarity of intent — reader answers "what/why/how" from code itself
3. Simplicity — minimal concepts that still solve the problem
4. Changeability — modifications are localized and low-risk
5. Efficiency — good algorithms; performance from good design, not micro-optimizations

Elegant vs "Smart" Code