title: Cleaning Code: Fresh Start vs Hardcore Cleaning
body: <p>so I got a budget to clean up code that I've inherited from another programmer. the code is in really bad shape, there's lots of files not being used, there's lots of functions not being used. It actually looks like linear programming instead of object oriented. My issue is whether or not I should</p>
  
  <p>a) Clean the code, restructure it, and try to delete all unused resources
  b) start with a fresh framework (it's using codeigniter), and copy over the files that are needed to run</p>
  
  <p>I like option b because it kind of reminds me of a new laptop from best buy. I can either spend the time removing all the bloatware or do a wipeout and create the system from scratch, which I always do. The only problem is that this time, there's a lot more involved then just creating a fresh system. Here are the pros and cons:</p>
  
  <h2>PROS</h2>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Clean system that is very easy to maintain</li>
  <li>Don't need to go around searching for unused files</li>
  <li>Easier to keep track of what I've done</li>
  </ul>
  
  <h2>CONS</h2>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Lots of things can break</li>
  <li>Might miss required files</li>
  <li>Might take longer</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>What do you think? Can you give me some of your pros and cons, and what you might do in a situation like this?</p>
  
  <h2>Update</h2>
  
  <p>A lot of people say that I am missing an important part, budget (time and money). We do have a decent budget, but my project manager is willing to go over if it ensures a more solid system with quicker turnaround time for new features. It's hard for me to quantify budget because you have not seen code, so giving hours won't help which is why I did not say anything about budget. I guess from your prospective, consider this a budget that can accommodate both solutions.</p>