Common C# Code Smells and How to Fix Them (video)

Identify frequent C# code smells — empty catches, long methods, high complexity, hardcoded secrets — and learn remediation patterns plus automated detection.

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Common C# Code Smells and How to Fix Them. Here's the short version.

Code smells are patterns that compile but make C# code harder to maintain, test, or operate. Recognizing them early keeps .NET codebases healthy.

Empty catch blocks. An empty catch swallows exceptions without logging or recovery. Fix: log with context, handle specific exception types, or rethrow wrapped exceptions when you cannot recover locally. For a full walkthrough with before-and-after C# examples, read our guide on empty catch blocks in C#.

Long methods and large classes. Methods that grow past a single responsibility are difficult to unit test and reuse. Fix: extract private methods, introduce focused services, and align types with domain boundaries.

High cyclomatic complexity. Deep nesting and long switch statements increase the number of independent paths through code. Fix: use early returns, strategy objects, or polymorphism to flatten control flow.

Want to find these issues in your own code? Connect your GitHub repository to CodeInspector. You'll get findings with the file, line, severity, and a recommended fix, plus HTML and PDF reports for your team. Start free at codeinspector.app.

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