What are the best practices for maintaining your application?

1 Use version control

Version control is a system that tracks the changes you make to your code over time. It allows you to revert to previous versions, compare differences, and collaborate with other developers. Version control also helps you to backup your code, avoid conflicts, and document your progress. You should use a version control tool like Git, Subversion, or Mercurial to manage your codebase.

2 Follow coding standards

Coding standards are a set of rules and guidelines that define how you write and format your code. They help you to maintain consistency, readability, and quality across your application. Coding standards also make it easier for other developers to understand and modify your code. You should follow the coding standards of your programming language, framework, or organization, and use tools like linters, formatters, or code analyzers to enforce them.

3 Write tests

Tests are pieces of code that check if your application works as expected. They help you to find and fix errors, prevent regressions, and improve performance. Tests also give you confidence and feedback when you make changes to your code. You should write tests for different levels of your application, such as unit tests, integration tests, and end-to-end tests, and use tools like testing frameworks, test runners, or code coverage tools to run and measure them.

4 Refactor your code

Refactoring is the process of improving your code without changing its functionality. It helps you to remove duplication, simplify complexity, and enhance readability. Refactoring also makes your code more modular, reusable, and maintainable. You should refactor your code regularly, and use tools like refactoring tools, code editors, or IDEs to assist you.

5 Document your code

Documentation is the information that explains how your code works, what it does, and why it does it. It helps you to communicate your design, logic, and decisions to yourself and others. Documentation also makes your code more understandable, searchable, and accessible. You should document your code using comments, docstrings, or external files, and use tools like documentation generators, markdown editors, or wikis to create and share them.

6 Automate your processes

Automation is the use of software or tools to perform tasks that are repetitive, tedious, or prone to human error. It helps you to save time, reduce mistakes, and increase efficiency. Automation also makes your processes more consistent, reliable, and scalable. You should automate your processes such as building, testing, deploying, or monitoring your application, and use tools like automation tools, scripts, or pipelines to execute them.

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?