This might seem silly. Hi Dan, nice article as usual. One of the most important factors influencing the maintainability of code is its readability, Im not a huge fan of writing comments in code, If you enter your favorite email address here, A Software Developer's Guide to Maintaining Code. We've heard a lot about cluster bombs today after Vladimir Putin threatened to use Russian stockpiles of cluster bombs if Ukraine employs the ones it has been given by the US (see 9.43 post). Listen to "Better . it's wise to be wary if you think you're about to touch part of an Every time a programmer is trying to understand some workflow passing through your code so they, in turn, can add a new feature, modify an existing one, or troubleshoot a bug, they are going to need to understand what your code is doing. Sooner or later, if not fixed now, the product will be trapped in a death spiral. Rather than being clever and as fast or efficient as possible, great developers optimize for maintainability. Method length should be appropriate to capture the essence and dont turn the method into an unreadable text. Fixing one thing could lead to breaking more things, reading code will take ages and prevent from improving the product itself. While everything wasnt perfect (like anything else), I learned invaluable lessons about leadership, teamwork, respect for nature, and survival skills. When you come across an unclear code and spent a lot of time trying to understand it, and then leave several comments for the next developer, you should understand that the code won't become better. Paul auster, Timbuktu. Downloading a vendors package once, you have code and documentation. You can also practice this in your everyday life at home and school. Tests help you write maintainable, extensible code that others can change fearlessly. Most importantly, leave your people better than you found them by caring, enforcing standards, offering constructive feedback and providing them with developmental opportunities, education, training and the right resources. Timeboxing is one technique I use to avoid, or at least minimize, my tendencies toward this when refactoring. How to Keep Your Code Clean and Easy to Understand When you first think about becoming a software developer, you probably have dreams of creating exciting new features, playing with new technologies, and writing some really cool and interesting code. Always leave the code better than you found it : programming - Reddit Always Leave the Code Better than You Found It - Boy Scout Engineering 101. In this situation, if you understand the code, try refactoring it to make it more readable. High-quality code is critical to creating functional error and bug-free software that is easy to edit and understand. The . visited - which are exactly the areas where clean code is most Better could and really, always should mean more readable and maintainable. Never miscommunicate again, Get Rid Of Technical Debt In 10 VS Code Extensions, Everything You Need to Know About Continuous Performance Testing, Integrating OpenAI GPT API With Functions: Here's What You Need to Know, Use to Dynamically Render Images for Different User Environments, An Essential Guide on How to Seamlessly Build AI-Enhanced APIs With OpenAI. This is the best blog i have ever seen on the internet all the post are good and helps to providing the knwoledge and teach you new skills keep on posting like this, Your email address will not be published. There are also some modern refactoring tools which can assist you and can pretty much guarantee that the refactorings wont change the functionality of the code. See this https://twitter.com/unclebobmartin/status/870311898545258497. that final point of being done. Discuss your plan with someone more familiar with the code; git blame is your friend. Libraries near you: WorldCat. Boy/girl-scout engineers need to learn about the laws and incentives that make it hard for them to be effective, but they also need to acquire the right tools and skills to really have a lasting impact on their codebases' health. You may get something working, but realize that it would be In other words, engineers should continuously clean up small pieces of tech debt so they never have to undertake a giant refactoring project when they're too close to technical bankruptcy. My post was a little simplified for easy digestion but its really great to discuss the caveats perhaps another post is required? It applied to leadership, too. In the open source projects, we often can notice that the documentation articles are kept in the same repository as the base code. Heres an example of a well-organized WIKI for D3.js visualization library. For more specific explanation refer to this awesome article: https://refactoring.guru/refactoring/smells. It will probably evolve and transform in many ways, as I experience and discover more coding styles, schemes, and points of view. Leave Code Better than You Found It | if else hole. Build trust with them so they feel comfortable coming to you for help. While some of your job might be doing this, more often than not, a majority of that job no matter how good it sounds will involve maintaining an existing system. Thats how life is. Ive spent a lot of my time maintaining working code. Camping Etiquette 101: Leave your campsite better than you found it Tips on leaving no trace when you are camping in Colorado One of the places columnist Joshua Berman and friends camped. I am sure almost every programmer (at least me) has written code at 3 AM just to wake up the next day and spend hours trying to figure what is going on. Thank you for your insightful feedback. No. Leave the code better than you found it. However, it could also mean that youve reduced the total lines of code by eliminating some duplication or organizing it in a different way. If you prefer a certain programming style or if you know from practice that algorithms you use are difficult to read, put some help text before the complex piece of code. Your helpful // don't forget to blah blah or # do not use might not hold true over refactoring and can be misleading to other developerscausing bugs! Weve already talked about the Boy Scout Rule, but lets dive a little deeper into what it means to make code better. How can you make code better? Why am I telling you this? something else. See the original article here. But you can also access it via Git which means you can copy all documentation, edit it in the editor you personally prefer, group modifications into commits, send them to server and get new comments. Opinions expressed by DZone contributors are their own. We should write them, but we have to take responsibility for them. If most of our time is spent on understanding and reading code, we better make sure that when we actually code, it will be unambiguous to all our peers. I remember working in a fork of struts. The most lasting impact you can make is to mentor and develop people who will continue to serve and lead, even after you . continuous attention to the code is important - but do remember that Skillful opportunistic refactoring requires But programmers make them not only in code, but also in the comment blocks. Its ultra-secure too. Leave it better than you found it > Schriever Space Force Base Im glad somebody pointed out the assumptions inherent in my post! As an example lets start describe how rabbit eats: What does the rabbit will die comment mean? Even if you didnt cause the mess, make an effort to clean it up. The value of such changes also need to be assessed; if the change doesnt make the code easier to understand and maintain, then it may be subtracting value and just wasting time. Imagine how would other people react if they seeing your code? When later you get back to that piece, the comment will remind you about your thought and you will be able to continue. Customers will find bugs that need to be fixed. Theyve spent enough time looking at someone elses codeor their ownand trying to maintain it that they know the best code they can write is the code that is the most maintainable. We were encouraged to help people grow, to make things better for each other and for those in the future. https://refactoring.guru/refactoring/smells, Shows too much internals (bad encapsulation). have refactoring tasks on your backlog. Please refresh the page and try again. There are many ways to refactor code, but the big rule in refactoring is to not change functionality but to make the code better. This doesnt mean you rewrite it, or upgrade all the libraries it depends on, or rename all the variables. Using git bisect and other tools be really helpful in getting around this, but you will encounter trouble regardless if your commits are nonsensical.1 So, make them meaningful. SUBSCRIBE TO RECEIVE THIS WRITER'S CONTENT STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX! Especially when several programmers work on the same section. In JavaScript, tabs vs. spaces, using semicolons, where variables get declared, etc. That lack of locality The fact of the matter is that readable code is just easier to maintain, period. Every software developer should read this booksince every software developer is likely to spend a majority of their time working with legacy code. That old software that is out there will constantly need to be improved and maintained. However one trap many programmers (myself included) fall into is overusing design patterns or refactoring something that makes more sense just for them. good judgement, where you decide when to call it a day. What strategy can help you clean up your code regularly? The first type is to write comment in the code itself. Full stack developer, reader, thinker. In the words of Robert C. Martin, as captured in Kevlin Henney's book, 97 Things Every Programmer Should Know, "I think if we all followed that simple rule, we would see the end of the relentless deterioration of our software systems. Because constant corrections, updates, translations and debuggings would be quite typical. your opportunities to refactor, then the code base gradually How to create the same documentation style for all team members? Based on feedback (this comment, among others), I added this section on Nov 28. You may also look at examples from popular frameworks and libraries. Its a good rule to live by as a developer as well. If all I have is 30 minutes, Ill make my changes smaller in scope. typing if statements. I agree: communication is key, especially when embarking on refactoring exercises. Yes, I know this is heresy, but Id rather write clear, expressive code that is self-explanatory than write cryptic code that can only be understood when reading through the comments which, by the way, have hopefully been maintained along with the code. should prompt a conversation. Enter your email address to receive notifications of new posts by email. you begin to implement something you see that this task would be I also find that making a deliberate error to see if a test Clean Code: The Boy Scout Rule | Matheus Rodrigues Start small and dont get wrapped up in perfection. Take responsibility for that code, even if you didnt write it: embrace collective code ownership! If you enter your favorite email address here, I'll send you the prior chapters and get you caught up - then send every new chapter as it comes out! You can keep the space your troop meets neat and tidy. For example, we have a rabbit, lets describe some of its basic functions as if they were an interface: We simply create one object from Rabbit class: Code is easily readable. It is possible to write methods using this scheme. What if the comment is too long? Welcome to my happy place of DIY, homemade, homegrown, handmade, nourished & crafted, whole hearted living. If you apply the boy-scout rule and leave the campground cleaner than you found it, you can break the cycle. Yes, there are definitely jobs where you are writing more new code than maintaining, upgrading, bug fixing and improving old code (startups without product market fit being one, consulting being another) but in general code is expensive and folks want to run it for a long time. They also take responsibility for the trash left by other people. Mobile Database Essentials: Assess data needs, storage requirements, and more when leveraging databases for cloud and edge applications. People. But a team that's Cover and disguise the cathole . ways you can use incorporate refactoring into your work. I have found comments to be useful when providing context that cant be contained in code, but agreed they can be problematic too. Even if it tests simple functionality such as can I instantiate this object or how does this function react when I pass it two null values, an additional test will help the robustness of the code. Weve all been there: code that hurts your brain to look at, let alone comprehend. That's the best a man can ever do.". document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Lets take a look at the comparison of a great company vs a bad company when developing a product. The more cryptic and difficult to understand code is, the more difficult it is to maintain. You might think Im making this up just to make my point in this chapter but Im telling you, its true. But you should make it better. issues. Don't comment a bad code rewrite it. Strongly advice you to refer to a more mature article to support this one. The object-oriented programming is much more easier than functional, a widespread practice of naming classes with nouns and methods with verbs makes code look more natural. It never feels good to spend time updating a dependency; to me this always feels like running in place. And if everyone makes this a regular part of their workday, your team or organization as a whole will pay down technical debt it has accrued over time. Leave It Better Than You Found It - AEM I shall await your next post and see if I can add some value. If everyone on the team is doing this, they make small regular Plus, get a free PDF of my most popular letters. What are the tools for documentation generation? new functionality or fixing a bug. Bad variable names, useless comments, commented out code the longer it stays, the smellier it gets. Track big issues continuously, prioritise them and add make them part of your sprint. Nah mate, enough said on this post if someone needs more detail on the assumptions made within the blog then they should give up coding. You cant really figure out what a cryptic comment might have meant. To describe the reason why it was made, what the commentary is about and when it has to be corrected. Earn this step by learning your name in morse code and drawing it out with the help of this graphic! Required fields are marked *. refactoring because it makes merges more difficult [1] - particularly if the branches live longer than a Any such barrier is a smell that It involves quite a few skills from writing clean codeto refactoring to design and even infrastructure concerns like DevOps and automation. From choosing baby's name to helping a teenager choose a college, you'll make so many decisions along the way. I'm building CollabGPT exactly for this, with my team. Not written by you, of course. - always leave the code behind in a better state than you found it. One secret to being great at maintaining code is the Boy Scout Rule. Refactoringby Martin Fowler. The without changing its functionality part is pretty important because you cant go around leaving code better than you found it if you are also changing the functionality. Large projects accumulate a lot of something we call " Technical Debt " and it's not something visible only for developers. But its amazing how quickly small improvements can be done; certainly in much less time than it took to understand that grotesque code. When you are working on some code, perhaps fixing a bug or adding a new feature, try to leave that code in a slightly better state than it was when you found it. The Adventure Code: Leave it Better than You Found it with feature branches, they are discouraged from opportunistic But such separation will make it easier for people who arent familiar with the changes to understand them and give feedback on them, whether that is a code review this week or someone reviewing this component two years from now. How to write it? I have a simple rule that I like to follow: I always try to leave the code in a better state than I found it. But if you use one of the methods described above, then you will be able to generate documentation web pages from your Git or WIKI repository therere tools for it. This might involve small improvements, like improving code formatting, renaming methods or variables, or adding useful comments. The solution of this problem is quite simple. catches it can be a way to get a feel for how good your safety net This quick cycle of feedback gives developers more confidence in their changes and also allows them to refactor the code, making it better without fear. Save sentimentality for everything else in life, but do not bog down your systems with useless code. One way to practice that is to leave it better than you found it. If you don't spend time on taking As you add the functionality, you realize that some code you're This article is a weekly school assignment as part of my learning progress, so pardon me if you spot some misconceptions written in this article. Along with comments in the code, make your commit messages as clear and helpful as possible as well. If you see an issue that might take time to fix or you're unsure about report and flag this issue in your editor. Recently I have finished reading the classic Clean Code by Uncle Bob.As I like to jot down everything I read, I thought it would be a great idea to summarize the book and create a handy playbook. Strongly advice you to refer to a more mature article to support this one. It's really that simple. Its sometimes a winding path, but upgrading your dependencies regularly is a good way to maintain the code. Dont get me wrong, I have written plenty of what is this, broken, going to lunch, WIP commits. But let me share with you a trick for writing a really good code: you should write it so that it could be read as if it was sentences. In this article, we are going to talk about why learning how to maintain code and write maintainable code is so important, and Ill give you some practical advice on how to do both of those things. My sense is that most teams don't do enough refactoring, so it's Think of it as rearranging a mathematics equation without altering their meaning. Unfortunately, it happens. One incontrovertible fact I have found during my many years of working as a software developer and working with software developers is that great developers write highly maintainable code. Enforce Linting & Syntax Styles: If you are working on a project and it is just you and a couple friends, you might not run into any issues with code style. For example, when you write specifications for phpSpec, you may have no limits in the method length, the main thing is for your code to capture the essence. Published at DZone with permission of John Sonmez. Enter your email address to receive notifications of new posts by email. I can't clean up the company's entire codebase. 1. Containers Trend Report. Its a good idea to have some unit tests in place before you do refactoring, especially if its a non-trivial change. This is a great rule to apply to multiple areas of your life, but its especially useful in software development. Explore the current state of containers, containerization strategies, and modernizing architecture. This fact doesnt mean, though, that youll only be working on maintaining old VB6 applications written decades ago. most of your work in one class, but spot problems in a class that's functionality. When the scouts go camping, cleaning up isnt optional. Even if you do, expect that at some point in time, you or someone else will have to maintain that code. That cleans up the code for the next person to come along (who might be you). That's the best a man can ever do. Code cleanliness isnt optional. Over 2 million developers have joined DZone. I can almost anyways improve the readability and make the logic more concise and that helps reveal the intent. The easier it is for them to understand, the easier it will be for them to make the correct changes to the system and the less time it will take. refactoring in that it's something that needs to be planned out. I'm wary of any development practices that cause friction for It will let yourself and other team members 1) know what your changes are, 2) why they are needed, and 3) how you know they dont break anything. I discuss the best techniques to ensure accurate planning and efficient delivery. I would just say that comments are to avoid generally speaking. Great developers know that the majority of the life of any code they write will be spent in themaintenance phase. In some places comments are required. What actions might I take, given the above? couple of days. To release the memory taken by rabbit? When unknown or non-obvious terms are used in a certain piece of code. Update comments: My general rule-of-thumb with comments is that they should really only be necessary to document a part of the API that is not easily inferred. That why can be crucial when trying to understand some code or change that wasnt apparent, especially when it involves fixing a tricky bug. Code isn't everything, but it is an important work output. Quality should be non-negotiable. It might mean grouping some functionality into a method or procedure to reduce some redundancy in the code or to make it easier to understand. So perhaps the reason we have no problem following Grandad's rule is because almost all of us went through the Boy Scouts. Now lets teach our rabbit some tricks and make him run a fixed distance, which we will pass as parameter to the method run. You can cut and paste a lot of the setup code and tweak only what is different. Note: Combined, Clean Code andCode Complete will give you a solid base and understanding of what makes good, clean, readable code and how to write and structure your code, so I highly recommend reading both books. Short code is not necessarily better code, but code that achieves its goals in the most minimal way possible usually is. Where is it necessary and where is not? Take your knowledge and experiences and use them to motivate those who are struggling and help them overcome their challenges. Add another edition? Always Leave the Code Better than You Found It - HackerNoon Leaving the Campground Cleaner Than You Found it: Key Lessons for Better Software Development By Aidyl October 25, 2018 Share Post 7 min One of the things that I most enjoy about programming is that it is a constant learning experience. The second variant is when the third party tool or repository is used, for example WIKI-engine, where the principles of application operation, the usage examples, the interaction modules are described, it is also provided with flowcharts and diagrams, generally speaking everything that you cant write in code. I'm writing the book live on this site week-by-week. I faced a problem once when multibyte functions encoding wasnt set on staging and spent lots of time on searching and solving this issue. "Leave this world better a little better than you found it." - Robert Baden-Powell. A portion of proceeds from "Better Than We Found It" will be donated to the Black Women's Health Imperative. I didnt expect this article to reach a large amount of audience. You Finding magic in the mundane & growing some roots in the process. It was an important application for the company, but we didnt spend the time upgrading the dependencies, because it was too painful. At the very least it should be You wouldnt write a mess like that, and you can hardly believe that somebody else did (or maybe you can?). And if everyone makes this a regular part of their workday, your team or organization as a whole will pay down technical debt it has accrued over time. This means that there will always be more old software out there than new software unless we have a ridiculously high influx of new software and a bunch of old software dies off at the same time, but that is very unlikely to happen. So, these books will help you to be an excellent craftmanship programmer. You may be doing In this situation, you really should just agree (e.g., leads and CTO should decide upon) a style guide and enforce it with automated linting rules and static analysis tools like ESLint. You want to But if youve ever had a great comment explain a confusing bit of code, youll appreciate the time this effort can save. In this case it is better to create a standalone repository for documentation, for example, as it was made for Symfony. using a FeatureBranch. You want to leave the code better than you found it, but it can also wait for another visit to make it the way you'd really like to see it. Youll find this book goes into some of the low-level, structural details of writing good, readable code. As author Mahdi Rezvi contends in his article "JavaScript Best Practices for Readable and Maintainable Code," developers spend more time reading code than they do writing code. Leave the Code in a Better State than you Found It While being succinct can be valuable, being terse and clever is an absolute recipe for disaster. make a big impact that's focused on the areas that are frequently instead seeing refactoring as a constant stream of small adjustments Next post: Pain with .NET 4 assemblies and the GAC, Previous post: Notes from Jean Tabakas talk, The 12 Failure Modes of Agile. After your idea was turned into code, you should remove the incomplete commentary or complete it. It definitely happens, but dont expect it all the time. I've got to ship within a certain timeframe because I've committed to an estimate during planning.
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