How can you ensure maintainable structured programming?

2 Follow coding standards

Coding standards are a set of rules and guidelines that define the format, style, and structure of your code. They can help you write code that is consistent, clear, and easy to read and follow. Coding standards can vary depending on your programming language, organization, or project, but they usually cover aspects such as indentation, spacing, comments, documentation, naming conventions, and error handling. You should adhere to the coding standards that are relevant to your context, and use tools such as code formatters, linters, or editors to help you apply them.

4 Use abstraction and encapsulation

Abstraction and encapsulation are two key principles of structured programming that can help you make your code more maintainable. Abstraction is the process of hiding the details and complexity of your code behind simpler and higher-level interfaces, such as functions, modules, or classes. Encapsulation is the process of bundling the data and logic of your code into separate and independent units, such as modules or classes, and restricting their access and modification. By using abstraction and encapsulation, you can reduce the dependencies and interactions between your code elements, and make them easier to reuse, modify, and test.

5 Write comments and documentation

Comments and documentation are essential for explaining the logic, functionality, and usage of your code to yourself and other programmers. Comments are short and informal notes that you write in your code to clarify or describe specific parts of it. Documentation is a more comprehensive and formal description of your code that you write in a separate file or platform. Both comments and documentation should be clear, concise, and accurate, and updated whenever you change your code. You should write comments and documentation that are appropriate for your level of abstraction, audience, and purpose.

6 Test your code

Testing is the process of verifying that your code works as expected and meets the requirements and specifications of your project. Testing can help you detect and fix errors, bugs, or defects in your code, and ensure its quality, reliability, and performance. Testing can also help you maintain your code, as it can provide feedback, documentation, and confidence for your changes and refactoring. You should test your code at different levels, such as unit, integration, or system testing, and use tools such as testing frameworks, debugging tools, or code coverage tools to help you.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?