How do you maintain your CAD customization and automation code?

1 Use a version control system

A version control system (VCS) is a tool that helps you track and manage the changes in your code over time. It allows you to create and switch between different versions of your code, compare and merge changes, and revert to previous states if needed. Using a VCS can help you avoid losing or overwriting your code, as well as collaborating with other developers. There are many VCS options available, such as Git, Subversion, or Mercurial. You can also use online platforms, such as GitHub, Bitbucket, or GitLab, to host and share your code repositories.

2 Document your code

Documenting your code means adding comments, descriptions, or instructions that explain the purpose, functionality, or logic of your code. Documenting your code can help you and others understand, modify, or reuse your code in the future. It can also help you debug or troubleshoot your code if something goes wrong. You can use different formats and styles for documenting your code, such as inline comments, block comments, or header comments. You can also use tools, such as Doxygen, Sphinx, or Javadoc, to generate documentation from your code.

3 Follow coding standards and best practices

Coding standards and best practices are guidelines or conventions that help you write consistent, readable, and maintainable code. They can cover aspects such as naming, formatting, indentation, commenting, or structure of your code. Following coding standards and best practices can help you avoid errors, bugs, or conflicts in your code, as well as making your code easier to test, debug, or refactor. You can use existing coding standards and best practices for your programming language or CAD software, or create your own based on your preferences or requirements.

4 Test and debug your code

Testing and debugging your code means checking and fixing any errors, bugs, or issues that may affect the performance, functionality, or reliability of your code. Testing and debugging your code can help you ensure that your code works as expected, meets the specifications, and satisfies the users. You can use different methods and tools for testing and debugging your code, such as unit testing, integration testing, regression testing, or debugging tools. You can also use logging, error handling, or exception handling techniques to monitor and handle any errors or exceptions in your code.

5 Update and upgrade your code

Updating and upgrading your code means making changes or improvements to your code to keep it compatible, secure, or optimized. Updating and upgrading your code can help you adapt to the changes in the CAD software, such as new features, functions, or versions, as well as the changes in the operating system, hardware, or standards. You can use different strategies and tools for updating and upgrading your code, such as backward compatibility, forward compatibility, or migration tools. You can also use feedback, reviews, or benchmarks to identify and implement any enhancements or optimizations to your code.

6 Share and reuse your code

Sharing and reusing your code means making your code available and accessible to other developers or users who may benefit from it. Sharing and reusing your code can help you save time, effort, or resources, as well as learning from others, expanding your network, or contributing to the community. You can use different platforms and formats for sharing and reusing your code, such as online repositories, libraries, or packages. You can also use licenses, copyrights, or credits to protect and acknowledge your code.

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?