Best practices for writing code

In programming, writing code is like writing a book – the more organized, readable, and concise it is, the easier it is to understand and build upon. As such, programmers must follow many best practices for writing code to ensure their code is clean, efficient, and maintainable. In this topic, we will review some of these best practices. Let's dive into it!

The style guide

Consistent formatting is essential when you are writing code. The code's design can impact how readable and understandable your code is. The more consistent your formatting is, the easier it is for others to read and understand your code. Therefore, writing understandable code that is easy to navigate is very important, even for developers unfamiliar with it. Here are some tips on how to make the design of your code more pleasant.

1. Use meaningful variable and function names. Naming conventions for variables, functions, classes, and other components of your code should be consistent. This convention helps other developers understand your code quickly, identify specific components, and refactor or add new functionality to existing code.

Here is an example of bad naming:

a = "user001"
b = "[email protected]"
c = 45

And a good one:

username = "user001"
email = "[email protected]"
followers = 45

2. Follow consistent formatting and indentation. Using proper indentation in code improves readability and divides it into distinct parts, making it easier to understand. Also, aim to break lines at logical points, such as after a comma or operator, and try not to make your code line longer than 80-120 characters.

Which of these examples is easier to understand is obvious:

if (user.is_online) then
user.color = "green" 
user.status = "available"
else user.color = "red" user.status = "unavailable"

if (user.is_online) then
    user.color = "green"
    user.status = "available"
else
    user.color = "red"
    user.status = "unavailable"

3. Use comments to explain complex code or algorithmic processes. Often, developers neglect in-line documentation in the code. However, this is a crucial practice for ensuring that the code can be maintained and updated effectively in the future. Always add documentation to the code files, explaining what the code does, the author, and the date it was written. This makes it easier to track changes and troubleshoot errors. But don't use comments to store unused code in them. To store different versions of your code, it's better to use version control systems, the advantages of which will be explained in the next section.

4. Remove dead code. It is code that is executed but does not have any impact on the program. You need to be able to find such code and remove it because its execution will only load the system in vain, not giving any result.

Many popular programming languages have their own code design rules. We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the guide for your programming language if there is one. For example, there are style guides for C++, JavaScript, and Python:

• Google C++ Style Guide
• Google JavaScript Style Guide
• PEP 8 – Style Guide for Python Code

To maintain consistency in your code, it's advisable to use a code editor that supports automatic formatting. This feature helps to fix style issues and alert you when the style rules have been breached. JetBrains IDE is an example of such an editor.

The structure guide

Even if your code is perfectly styled, you should not forget its structure. Correct code structure makes navigating easier and allows other developers to understand its functionality faster. Follow these tips to improve the structure of your code:

1. Make your Code Modular. Modular code is code that is reusable, easy to maintain and test. This involves breaking up your code into smaller, independent modules that can be easily tested and debugged. This practice makes keeping track of your code easier and allows you to make changes without affecting other parts of your code.
2. Proper Error Handling. Code must handle errors correctly to avoid unexpected behavior and crashes. An application with poor error handling can frustrate users and make debugging difficult. Ensure you catch all exceptions before they cause any issues, and as a general rule, never trust user input.
3. Follow the DRY (Don't Repeat Yourself) Principle. The DRY principle is a best practice for writing code that ensures the code is concise, maintainable, and efficient. The idea is to avoid duplicating code and keeping it in a single place or function. This makes it easier to update, debug, and maintain your code in the future.
4. Use Version Control. Version control is a system that tracks changes made to the codebase over time. Version control is essential in team projects, where multiple people work on the same codebase. It allows you to track changes, revert to previous versions if something goes wrong, and collaborate with other developers on the same codebase.
5. Use design patterns. The design pattern is a common way of writing code to solve a particular problem. Many patterns can simplify code writing and optimize a program. In addition, since the patterns are common, it will be easier for other developers to understand your code if you use them.
6. Test your code. If you follow the rules described above, your code will be easy to test. Do not neglect this opportunity because the tests allow you to detect many problems not seen during development. A serious approach to testing will help avoid severe problems in the future.

Conclusion

Following best practices for writing code is essential in creating maintainable, cleaner, and more efficient code. Consistent formatting and naming conventions improve readability, while modular code helps improve scalability and easy collaboration among developers. Proper error handling and in-line documentation ensure smooth code development, while version control helps track changes and simplify the team development process. Finally, clear and concise code makes understanding and maintaining your codebase easier. By following these best practices, your code can be more maintainable, scalable, and efficient in the long run.