Learning a language and writing some programme are simply two aspects of software engineering. You must write quality code if you want to be a successful software engineer or developer. By reading some of the project’s code, one can evaluate good software. Developers enjoy working on software that has simple, understandable, and flexible code because it makes it simpler to make changes.
Writing codes that adhere to coding conventions enhances the readability and understandability of the code, just as English follows grammar rules. Coding standards establish code convention or style guide. Even though different programming languages have varied syntax, coding standards generally follow the same guidelines for all of them of if you are a student and facing problem in doing your assignment homework then you can simply check Geeksprogramming.com for the desired help. Here are some of the guidelines you must follow:-
1. Single Responsibility Principle (SRP)
In every programming language, classes, functions, or methods are a fantastic way to arrange the code, therefore you should definitely pay attention to how to build a function that conveys its goal. Most newcomers make the error of writing a function that can handle and accomplish practically anything (perform multiple tasks). Developers have a harder time understanding your code and run into issues when trying to locate or fix flaws. Therefore, to write a function that is clear and simple to understand, keep these two points in mind.
If your function completes a specified duty, using this strategy will make your code lot easier for other developers to comprehend or build another feature. Make sure your function has no more than three arguments as well. Try to keep the arguments as little as feasible because more arguments do more jobs. Passing more than three arguments causes your code to become complicated, quite complex, and difficult to debug should a problem arise. Create a new function that just contains the try-catch-finally statements if your function has try/catch/finally statements.
2. Avoid Making Extraneous Comments
Developers frequently use comments to describe the function of a line of code. Although comments are very useful for illustrating what the code does, they also make your code more maintenance-intensive. While the code is being developed, it may shift about a bit, but if a comment stays in the same spot, it may cause significant issues. Developers may become confused and distracted as a result of the pointless comments. It’s not as if you shouldn’t use comments at all; occasionally they are useful, such as when working with third-party APIs and need to explain certain behaviour. However, avoid adding comments when they are not required.
3. Write Unit Tests
Unit test writing is crucial to development. Your code becomes clear, versatile, and manageable as a result. Coding updates and bug elimination became simpler. Product development uses a technique known as Test Driven Development (TDD), where requirements are translated into a set of precise test cases before the software is modified to pass new tests.
You should not write a production code as long as the situation demands to pass a failing unit test. Unit tests may only contain as much code as necessary to fail, and compilation errors count as errors. You are only permitted to write the amount of production code necessary to pass the one failed unit test.
4. Monitor Your Dependencies
In the process of developing software, dependencies must be carefully considered. Your dependencies should, whenever possible, always point in a single direction. Things become significantly more challenging when there is multidirectional reliance. Even though they are different, both entities in a bidirectional dependency must coexist because they are dependent on one another. Some systems become difficult to upgrade when their dependencies don’t point in the same general direction. So, whenever managing your dependencies, be cautious.
5. Ensure that your project is organised
It is a very typical issue in software development because we constantly add and remove several files and directories from our projects, making it challenging and annoying for other developers to comprehend and work on them. We both agree that it is impossible to create a perfect folder or file organisation on day one, but as your project grows, it becomes increasingly important to pay attention to how your folders, files, and directories are organised. It is simpler to grasp an entire project, find a specific folder, and make changes in it when everything is organised nicely in folders and files.
6. Code indentation
The most crucial thing you can do to make your code accessible and understandable is to use proper indentation. Various indentation styles exist, including K&R, OTBS, and Stroustrup. All of these styles suggest that we separate each block of code with a space and a new line to make it easier to understand.
7. Think about your situation
Various situations have different coding standards. There may be multiple coding standards for naming conventions, coding style, indentation, and file structures depending on your programming language, organisation, or industry. When you can, adhere to such coding standards while keeping in mind the specific requirements of your project.
Good coding techniques are crucial to know, but guidelines are only broad generalisations without context. They require your sound judgement to be used properly. You should trust your gut as a coder while keeping all of these guidelines in mind. There will be occasions when a general principle is contradicted by your context, and in those situations, you are best suited to judge. Others imply this when they urge not to interpret these laws “pragmatically,” and we concur.
Conclusion:
Your success as a developer depends on your ability to write quality code. Your code will be simpler to maintain, scale, and debug if you keep these coding best practises in mind. You’ll get more adept at implementing and customising these techniques across many languages and projects the more you code.