Follow these software coding standards best practices for clean coding that is readable, reliable & testable & improves the efficiency of your team.
Technology always works on a set of rules. Therefore, all the developers follow coding standards and best practices to ensure the code is flawless and of good quality for a perfect product, making it easier for the other developers.
Since app development includes constant updates and adding more features to the software product, clean code that is easy to understand for the other developers makes its execution easier. Read below to find out more benefits of following coding standards and best practices.
What is code quality & why is it important?
Coding is an intricate process that needs a fair amount of time and dedication. The constant reminders of the deadlines tempt the developers to skip the protocols and take shortcuts to make things work, but this can be fatal in the long run. If you are wondering what makes good code different from bad code, here are some characteristics to find out:
- Readability: Good code is easy to understand for everyone working on the project.
- Maintainability: When the code is legible, it makes testing and maintenance less time-consuming.
- Lower technical debt: Using good quality code is beneficial in the long run. It speeds up the development and makes collaboration easier.
- Reliability: Bad code can lead to errors and defects over time. But following good coding standards ensures that the code is functional.
- Testability: Testing forms an essential part of software development. Since size and compatibility play are its key features, good code matters.
Apart from it, some other software coding standards best practices are – keeping the code well-documented, consistent, and functional.
Software Coding Standards Best Practices
Bad coding standards lead to unpleasant consequences and should be avoided at all costs to ensure the perfect functioning of your app. Here are some software coding standard best practices to deal with low coding standards and ensure that you are working on clean code:
Use standard coding practices
Following a uniform coding standard is the best way to consistency. It will ensure everyone follows the same rules and are on the same page, increasing the readability. It will also lower the complexity for the developers. Further, since all the developers will understand it better, it will result in higher quality code.
To implement it, you must educate and train your team on the uniform style and help them keep up with it at every step.
Use APIs
Whenever you are looking at a function you want to achieve by coding, check if they are simply available via API. If you can import and implement an API, do not waste your precious time coding the same.
Remember – Don’t reinvent the wheel. Also, don’t forget to check compatibility and licensing issues while using a third-party API.
Commenting & Documentation
The first commandment developers learn is to always comment the code. Commenting your code makes it easier to guide the others developers to the logic and the algorithm you have used.
While commenting is a good practice, make sure you comment only on the required information and do not bloat your code with unnecessary comments.
Avoid nesting
A nested code is the one that performs a function that is within the code that performs broader functions. Since this can complicate things, as per the coding standards’ best practices nesting should be limited to 2 or 3 levels.
The good news is that you can avoid this by returning the functions ASAP. The key is to choose simple functions and routes for efficiency.
Include Unit Tests
Testing is an inevitable part of every development process since no one would ever want to take the risk of directly launching the product into the market without checking.
However, sometimes it can be challenging to check when it is complete and bulky, making unit testing a more feasible option. Following coding standards best practices will make debugging easy and guarantee that every part of your code functions well. Also making it easy to refactor the code.
Concluding words
High-quality standards have become eminent for a flawless development process. Following coding standards best practices and sticking to them will make your code more efficient and make working on it easier for the other developers. This will also lead to more accuracy and make the code easy to maintain.
