> Loccount on my "ugly, not modular" backend[...]
>
> all SLOC=2284 (100.00%) LLOC=0 in 13 files
>
> Loccount on the "very clean" backend of the previous contractor:
>
> all SLOC=12507 (100.00%) LLOC=0 in 262 files
This begs the question: so what?
Comparison will only make sense when another pour soul will try and change something on the likely mess you look proud to have created. What you found was not well maintainable, but will work be?
It is arguable whether 2x LOC reduction is worth it. But 5x LOC reduction on the same technology stack kind of changes the complexity category of the code base. 2kLOC (borderline trivial application) is almost always easier to maintain than 12kLOC (small application) — as 60kLOC would be easier to maintain than 12kLOC.
This is valid, of course, only for comparable code, not taking into account obfuscation, complete removal of tests, etc.
This begs the question: so what?
Comparison will only make sense when another pour soul will try and change something on the likely mess you look proud to have created. What you found was not well maintainable, but will work be?