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Code quality is essential in software development as it directly impacts the maintainability, scalability, and reliability of the product. High-quality code is easy to read, modify, and understand. It is also less prone to errors and bugs, and it ensures that the software product is delivered on time and within budget.
Whether you are a seasoned software engineer or just starting out as an individual contributor, it is imperative that you take steps to improve the quality of your codebase.
In this blog, we will discuss the steps you can take to improve code quality. So, let’s dive in and explore…
Table of Contents
Follow coding standards
Coding standards provide a set of guidelines that developers should follow when writing code. Following coding standards ensures that the code is consistent and easy to read. It also makes it easier for other developers to understand the code and maintain it in the future.
Developers often write code that doesn’t meet the standards set by their company in an effort to expedite the process, or simply because it couldn’t be made any simpler given time constraints. This can be a costly mistake, as code which is riddled with defects and inconsistencies may necessitate extensive debugging efforts – which could potentially result in more bugs being introduced along the way!
Ensure that you are consistent in your coding style. The more uniform your code looks, the less likely it is that you will make an error in removals or additions when reading through it later on. It’s always a good idea to follow the conventions used in your project or team, or to establish your own conventions if none exist.
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For example – If you are coding in Java or Python, below is the naming convention used:
Java | Python | |
Naming Conventions | Classes should start with an uppercase letter and use camelCase. For example: public class MyClassName . Methods and variables should start with a lowercase letter and use camelCase. For example: public void myMethodName() . Constants should be written in all capital letters with underscores separating words. For example: public static final int MAX_VALUE = 100 . | Classes should start with an uppercase letter and use CamelCase. For example: class MyClass . Functions and variables should be lowercase and separated by underscores. For example: def my_function(): or my_variable = 10 . Constants should be written in all capital letters with underscores separating words. For example: MY_CONSTANT = 10 . |
Use automated testing
This is where the rubber meets the road, and your quality assurance efforts will yield dividends if this component of software development receives adequate attention. Automated testing is the process of using software tools to test code automatically. Automated testing ensures that the code is correct, meets the requirements and also helps with code coverage.
There are different types of automated testing, including:
- Unit Testing: Unit testing is the process of testing individual components of the code, such as functions, methods, or classes. It is usually done by developers and is focused on testing the functionality of the code in isolation from other components. Just one unit test can save hours upon hours of time down the road! Unit tests are usually written using testing frameworks such as JUnit for Java or pytest for Python.
- Integration Testing: Integration testing is the process of testing how different components of the system work together. It tests the interactions between different components to ensure that they work as expected. Integration tests can be done manually or using automated tools such as Selenium or Cypress for web applications.
- System Testing: System testing is the process of testing the entire system as a whole to ensure that it meets the requirements and works as expected. It tests the system’s functionality, performance, and reliability. System testing can be done manually or using tools such as Robot Framework for testing complex systems.
- Acceptance Testing: Acceptance testing is the process of testing whether the system meets the user’s requirements and needs. It is usually done by end-users or product owners and is focused on ensuring that the system meets the business needs. Acceptance tests can be done manually or using tools such as Cucumber or Behave for testing features from a user’s perspective.
Automated tests can provide a high degree of confidence in the code’s quality, reducing the likelihood of defects and issues early in the development life cycle. Automated testing can also reduce the overall cost of testing by reducing the need for manual testing and increasing the efficiency of testing.
Important thing to note is that developers should revise the test coverage of their codebase and create new tests as they add more functionality to the software.
Pro Tip: Investing one day per week in quality assurance activities such as test-driven development (TDD) is relatively effortless when compared with gaining proficiency with code maintenance.
Write modular code
Modular code is code that is divided into smaller modules or functions. Modular code is easier to read, test, and maintain. It also allows development teams to reuse code across multiple projects.
Regardless of the programming languages, if you are following object oriented programming, here are some ways to write modular code:
- Break code into small functions or methods: Break your code down into small, focused functions or methods that perform specific tasks. This makes the code easier to understand and maintain, and also makes it easier to reuse.
- Use classes and objects: Classes and objects provide a way to encapsulate data and behavior. This helps to keep code organized and makes it easier to reuse.
- Use interfaces and abstract classes: Interfaces and abstract classes provide a way to define common behavior that can be implemented by different classes. This helps to reduce duplication and makes it easier to add new functionality to your code.
- Avoid global variables: Global variables can make code difficult to understand and test. Instead, pass variables as function parameters or use object properties.
- Use design patterns: Design patterns provide a way to solve common problems in software design. They can help to make code more modular, easier to maintain, and more scalable.
- Use a modular architecture: Organize your code into modules that have clear responsibilities and interfaces. This makes it easier to understand and maintain the code.
- Use dependency injection: Dependency injection is a technique that allows you to inject dependencies into objects at runtime. This makes code more modular and easier to test.
Modular and readable code is particularly important if multiple developers or teams are working on the same code base. It often helps reduce the total lines of code, removes dead code and making it what developers like to call it – clean code.
Use version control
Version control is the process of managing changes to source code over time. Version control systems allow developers to track changes to code, collaborate with other developers, and revert to previous versions if necessary. Below are some more reasons on why developers should follow version control:
- History and rollback: Version control systems (VCS) allow developers to track changes made to their code over time. This means that they can easily see who made what changes, when they were made, and why. VCS also allow developers to rollback changes if needed, which can be especially helpful when a mistake is made.
- Collaboration: Developers often work on code together, and version control makes this much easier. With VCS, multiple developers can work on the same code at the same time, and the system will keep track of all changes made by each developer. This helps avoid conflicts and ensures that everyone is working on the same version of the code.
- Branching and merging: VCS allow developers to create branches of their code, which are separate copies that can be worked on independently. This allows developers to experiment with changes without affecting the main codebase. Once changes have been made and tested, they can be merged back into the main codebase.
- Backup and disaster recovery: VCS provide a backup of code, which can be used for disaster recovery. If code is lost due to hardware failure, for example, it can be recovered from the VCS.
- Automation: VCS can be integrated with other tools and systems to automate tasks such as testing, building, and deployment. This makes the development process more efficient and less error-prone.
Source control systems such as Git, Mercurial and SVN are capable of keeping tabs on multiple projects under one roof. Different tools may have different strengths, so don’t be afraid to explore them all if you find one that works well for you! Currently, the most popular open source distributed version control system (VCS) is Git.
Refactor code
Refactoring is the process of improving the code without changing its behavior. For example, if you have a long method with many if-else statements, you can refactor it into smaller methods with more meaningful names.
Here are some reasons why developers should refactor code often:
- Maintainability: Refactoring makes code easier to maintain by improving its readability, reducing complexity, and removing duplicate code. This makes it easier to understand and change the code as requirements change.
- Scalability: Refactoring can make code more scalable by improving its performance and making it easier to add new features. This makes it easier to accommodate growing user bases or changing business needs.
- Quality: Refactoring can improve the quality of code by identifying and fixing defects, ensuring that it adheres to best practices and coding standards, and reducing the risk of bugs and errors.
- Collaboration: Refactoring can improve collaboration among developers by making code easier to understand and change. This can reduce the time and effort required to onboard new developers, and can help ensure that everyone on the team is working with the same codebase.
- Continuous improvement: Refactoring is a way to continually improve code over time. By regularly reviewing and improving code, developers can ensure that it remains maintainable, scalable, and of high quality.
As you can notice from the above points, refactoring code helps with the tech debt within the projects.
Use code reviews
Code reviews are a process of reviewing code by other developers to ensure that it meets coding standards, is readable, and is maintainable. Code reviews can catch errors and bugs early in the development process.
Here are some good practices for code reviews process:
- Establish guidelines and standards: Establish guidelines and standards for code reviews that outline the process, expectations, and criteria for evaluating code. This can help ensure that reviews are consistent and effective.
- Focus on the code, not the developer: Reviews should focus on the code and its adherence to coding standards, not the developer who wrote it. This can help ensure that feedback is objective and constructive.
- Use a checklist: Use a checklist or template to ensure that all relevant aspects of the code are reviewed, including functionality, maintainability, scalability, and security.
- Provide specific feedback: Provide specific and actionable feedback that identifies issues and offers suggestions for improvement. Avoid general comments or personal attacks.
- Be respectful and professional: Reviews should be conducted in a respectful and professional manner, and feedback should be delivered in a constructive and helpful way.
- Encourage discussion and collaboration: Encourage discussion and collaboration between reviewers and developers to ensure that feedback is understood and addressed effectively. This can help ensure that everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goals.
- Use automated tools: Use automated tools to help identify potential issues in the code, such as code quality analysis tools, automated testing, and security scanners.
You can use tools like GitHub or Bitbucket for code reviews. These tools allow developers to review code and provide feedback.
Use static code analyzer
Static code analysis is the process of analyzing code without executing it. Static code analysis can detect a wide range of issues, including:
- Syntax errors, such as missing semicolons or brackets
- Code smells, such as duplicated code or excessive complexity
- Security vulnerabilities, such as buffer overflows or SQL injection
- Violations of coding standards or best practices, such as naming conventions or formatting
The benefits of static code analysis include:
- Early detection of issues: Static code analysis can identify potential issues early in the development process, which can reduce the time and cost required to fix them.
- Consistency: Static code analysis can help ensure that code adheres to coding standards and best practices, which can improve maintainability and reduce technical debt.
- Security: Static code analysis can identify potential security issues in the code, reducing the risk of data breaches and other security incidents.
- Quality: Static code analysis can improve the overall quality of the code, reducing the risk of bugs and errors and making it easier to maintain and scale over time.
A common static analysis tool is SonarQube. SonarQube is an open-source platform for continuous inspection of code quality to perform automatic reviews with static analysis of code to detect bugs and code smells on 29 programming languages.
Conclusion
No software developer wants to be responsible for writing bad code. Improving the software quality requires a combination of tools, processes, and practices. By following these steps, you can improve code quality, reduce errors and bugs, and deliver high-quality software products on time and within budget.
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