What are the best practices for integrating a new feature into an existing codebase?

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Integrating a new feature into an existing codebase can be a challenging task for any application developer. You need to ensure that your code is compatible, consistent, and maintainable, without breaking any existing functionality or introducing any bugs. In this article, we will share some best practices for integrating a new feature into an existing codebase, based on the principles of continuous integration (CI).

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James Okunlade

FullStack Developer | DevOps
John Fedoruk

Let's talk about tech + biz strategy

1 Understand the requirements

Before you start coding, you need to have a clear understanding of what the new feature is supposed to do, how it fits into the overall architecture and design of the application, and what are the expected outcomes and impacts. You should also communicate with the stakeholders and the users of the feature, to get their feedback and input. This will help you avoid any misunderstandings, conflicts, or scope creep later on.

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James Okunlade

FullStack Developer | DevOps
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For a relatively junior and growing developer, the need to want to hit the ground running is understandable. However, the time you can spare trying to understand the larger goal of a task before starting will go a long way to help you. Why is this feature important? This kind of questioning will put you in the position to think from the customer's perspective; this way, you might even be able to suggest improvements to the requirements that may have been missed when the task was being created. Only then would you have the chance to complete the task fully and correctly. You'll be a more product-minded software engineer.

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John Fedoruk

Let's talk about tech + biz strategy
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Before starting, help stakeholders determine if the feature is needed and prioritized correctly. For instance - if the feature automates an existing business process, then consider representing the business process as a series of discounted perpetuity cashflows. At what point does the investment into this feature pay off? Does this feature yield a higher net present value over other features in the backlog? Development capacity is typically limited - ensure it's deployed strategically.

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2 Plan and design the feature

Once you have the requirements, you need to plan and design the feature in a way that minimizes the changes and dependencies on the existing codebase. You should follow the coding standards and conventions of the project, and use modular, reusable, and testable components. You should also document your design and code, to make it easier for other developers to understand and review your work.

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3 Use version control and branching

One of the most important tools for integrating a new feature into an existing codebase is version control. Version control allows you to track and manage the changes you make to the code, and collaborate with other developers. You should use a version control system (such as Git) and a branching strategy (such as GitFlow) that suits your project's workflow and requirements. You should create a separate branch for your feature, and commit your changes frequently and with descriptive messages.

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Carlos Lombarte Calvo
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I have the experience of using the conventional commits specification in my team. It's nice when you want your team to keep an standard regarding commit title, decscription and so on, it's also super helpful to generate changelogs with different sections (features, fixes, refactor, etc) for each release.

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4 Test and debug the feature

Before you integrate your feature into the main branch of the codebase, you need to test and debug it thoroughly. You should write unit tests, integration tests, and end-to-end tests for your feature, and run them locally and on a CI server. You should also use code analysis tools (such as SonarQube) and code quality metrics (such as code coverage) to check your code for any errors, vulnerabilities, or performance issues. You should fix any bugs or issues that you find, and ensure that your feature meets the acceptance criteria and the definition of done.

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5 Review and merge the feature

The final step of integrating a new feature into an existing codebase is to review and merge the feature into the main branch. You should submit a pull request or a merge request for your feature branch, and request a code review from your peers or your supervisor. You should follow the code review guidelines and best practices of your project, and address any feedback or comments that you receive. You should also ensure that your feature branch is up to date with the main branch, and that there are no conflicts or merge errors. Once your feature branch is approved and passes all the tests and checks, you can merge it into the main branch, and delete the feature branch.

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Carlos Lombarte Calvo
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One thing I've found helpful is to review your own pull request. You probably think you already looked at everything long enough or that you did your best. But you would be surprised about how many times you can find a different approach or an improvement by just taking 5 minutes to review your own pull request as if it was from somebody else.

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6 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?

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What are the best practices for integrating a new feature into an existing codebase?

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3

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1 Understand the requirements

2 Plan and design the feature

3 Use version control and branching

4 Test and debug the feature

5 Review and merge the feature

6 Here’s what else to consider

Application Development

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