Top 10 Software Development Best Practices
Like many of you, I often use the holiday downtime to tinker with personal projects and get some coding done. During these moments of creativity, I’ve picked up several tips to steer clear of over-engineering and ensure everything stays manageable, and I’d love to share them with you.
1. Embrace YAGNI (You Ain’t Gonna Need It): Avoid coding for imaginary future use cases. If you’re introducing code meant for a potential future scenario, there’s a good chance it’ll either become dead code or need rewriting because future needs often deviate from our predictions. This principle resonates with agile programming’s core essence. When tempted to leave commented-out code in a release or code for future use cases, remind yourself of Kent Beck’s wisdom in Extreme Programming Explained.
2. Globals and Objects: Globals are frowned upon. Functions generally trump types, and well-designed objects usually prove more beneficial than complex data structures.
3. Repetitive Code? Think Helper Functions: If you find yourself writing the same piece of code for the third time, it’s a sign. Extract it into a reusable helper function, and yes, write tests for it. The third repetition often gives a clearer understanding of the problem you’re solving.
4. API Design Philosophy: Whether you’re designing external facing or object APIs, prioritize simplicity. The mantra is: simple tasks should be straightforward, and complex tasks should be achievable. Always design for the basic scenario first. Expansion for more complex scenarios can be addressed as they arise. But remember, for external-facing APIs, where change is both tedious and potentially disruptive, thoughtful upfront design is paramount.
5. Fail Early and Clearly: Adopt a “fail fast” mindset. Check inputs rigorously and flag inconsistencies or invalid states as soon as possible. However, stay flexible enough to permit creative use of your code without unnecessary type-checking or stringent restrictions.
6. Unit Tests – Focus on Behavior: Tests should zoom in on the behavior, not the implementation. The ideal scenario? You should be able to revamp the implementation without modifying the behavior or the tests. Writing tests beforehand propels this approach, as it compels you to contemplate your code’s behavior and its testing strategy in advance. For a deeper dive into this mindset, Kent Beck’s Test Driven Development by Example is a worthy read.
7. Code Coverage in Unit Tests: Aim for comprehensive coverage. Starting with a 100% coverage mindset for all code paths can be beneficial. While it’s unrealistic to test every possible state combination, thoroughness is essential. Code left untested is often code left vulnerable.
8. Less is More with Code: Code can malfunction. It demands upkeep. The advice? Write less of it. Purge the unnecessary. Prioritize quality over quantity every time.
9. Comments – A Double-edged Sword: Over time, comments can deviate from the code’s truth, making them potential misinformation sources. Endeavor to make your code self-explanatory through robust naming conventions and familiar coding styles. However, when dealing with non-obvious code segments, comments detailing the ‘why’ behind the code become invaluable. Notably, this stance on comments is a topic of debate. Kernighan and Pike, authors of The Practice of Programming, would nod in agreement.
10. Defensive Programming is Key: Always anticipate what might falter. Think about potential input errors, likely failures, and other unexpected scenarios. Being proactive in this regard can mitigate many bugs before they even arise.
Software development is as much about mindset as it is about skill. Embracing best practices, like the ones highlighted above, not only ensures code quality but also nurtures a developer’s growth. While the journey might be laden with challenges, adhering to these guidelines will invariably lead to a more streamlined and effective development process.
