What are the most critical coding practices for software engineers?

Version control systems (VCS) like Git, SVN, or Mercurial keep a record of all changes made to the codebase. This historical record allows developers to see who made changes, what changes were made, and when they were made. If a new code update causes issues, VCS allows you to easily revert to earlier, stable versions of your code. This safety net is crucial in maintaining the reliability of your software.

Using version control is essential when working on a project. Even if you’re working as a solo developer on a project, it is highly recommended to use version control. Benefits: 1. you have a backup of your code 2. You can have a stable branch and you can keep working on features meanwhile without effecting the stable part 3. You can automate deployment 4. Last but not least, it offers a great way to collaborate with team members

Using version control like git is very useful for software engineers. Mostly all companies work in a collaborative environment where everyone's contribution matters and learning the version control will drastically improve the bug fixes of any software in a company.

Utilizing version control efficiently entails making small, manageable commits and tagging them appropriately for organization and clarity. This practice not only simplifies tracking and merging changes but also elevates version control beyond basic code management, fostering collaboration through pull requests and code reviews. Clear, well-categorized commit messages are crucial, and integrating version control with CI/CD pipelines optimizes deployment. Version control also serves as both a backup mechanism and a learning tool, allowing engineers to explore their development history to enhance future coding approaches.

For software engineers, adhering to critical coding practices is essential for creating efficient, maintainable, and reliable software. Code should be easy to read and understand. This includes using meaningful variable and function names, proper indentation, and clear comments explaining the purpose of complex code segments. Also, following a consistent coding style and standards improves readability and maintainability. This could involve adhering to a style guide or using tools like linters to enforce consistency.

One thing you always have to keep in your mind that doesn’t code with the mindset that it should only make sense to you. While coding, your thought process should be like anyone from your team should be able to understand it. Make sure to refactor your code to make it follow the best practices. For the moment it may seem like that it is an overhead to implement all the best case practices. But it will help you in the longer run and the whole structure of your project will be more efficient.

Writing clean code really matters a lot in an organization. Since you are working in a collaborative environment it becomes necessary that the code you wrote must be simpler and much understandable format which will let other fellow developers to collaborate with your piece of code.

Writing clean code is a cornerstone practice for software engineers to enhance readability, maintainability, and collaboration. Clean code follows consistent naming conventions, avoids unnecessary complexity, and is well-organized. In my experience, maintaining a clean and readable codebase significantly reduces the time and effort required for debugging and future enhancements.

Depending on the language being used, there are several tools that can be helpful in checking for common issues. For example, it is typically helpful to enable compiler warnings, and try to fix or at least consider issues flagged by them. There are also several static code analysis tools, like cpplint, cppcheck, the Intel Static Analyzer, Klocwork, and PVSStudio that are helpful in looking at the code and giving suggestions on how to improve it. Furthermore, it is not uncommon in some environments, like C/C++ development, to use more than one compiler to build a tool just to be able to see the compiler warnings coming from different compilers.

Don't overcomplicate things, write clean, understandable, and easy code, this is one of the critical parts. Avoid making side-effects, use design patterns. It's not only you who should understand the code, you should write code that even after 3-4 years another developer should be able to understand and maintain the code

Uma boa cobertura de testes ajuda o time a se mover mais rápido e a adicionar novas funcionalidades com mais confian?a. N?o precisar se preocupar em testar manualmente cada fluxo da aplica??o evita dores de cabe?a e perda de tempo útil da equipe como um todo.

One of the most important aspects of testing, especially when working with large projects, is to use code coverage tools in combination with unit tests to determine the portion of the code that is actually being tested. Without the use of code coverage tools it is possible to have significant functionality go untested by accident. As the code matures the use of code coverage tools also allows identifying dead code, which is code that is no longer used as features evolve or when features are removed. A good example of a code coverage tool is GNU gcov

Where many developers fail when it comes to testing is that they often seek the "happy path", and do not consider the many potential "sad paths" that can cause something to fail. As an example, think about a text field where you only allow users to type numeric values. What you may fail to consider is that someone may decide to past a non-numeric value into the text field, and it breaks your code. Stephen Hawking summed this up by saying, "When something is made idiot proof, they will just make better idiots." This is not to say that anyone is truly an idiot, but rather pointing out that users will often behave erratically compared to what developers expect, and you must test to their usage, not to your expectations.

Testing is a fundamental aspect of software development that ensures code behaves as intended and helps catch errors early in the development process. End-to-end tests simulate user interactions with the entire system, checking if the application functions correctly as a whole. Test-driven development (TDD) is a methodology where tests are written before the corresponding code. This approach ensures that code is designed with testability in mind and that every piece of functionality is thoroughly tested. Automated testing not only aids in detecting bugs but also facilitates refactoring by providing a safety net to validate that existing functionality remains intact after changes.

Whenever you are dealing with complex code architecture it is mandatory to document your approach which will let others to understand your contribution and the logic you used to solve that issue.

Apart from using version control systems like Git (another very crucial step), documenting your code as you take every step to build a solution is very important. It is a very effective step in debugging, code clean-up, and when others are reading your code too.

Code documentation is a point of contention for many developers, as there is often the mindset that "code should be self-documenting". This is only true in the sense that with modern languages you should use variables and method names that are descriptive. Where I have found documentation most useful is for providing explanation of processes, for describing complex code or algorithms, for describing consumable APIs for those that do not have access to your code, and for providing visual walkthroughs of your software. It is important to keep in mind, regardless of the documentation, that it is often not for your consumption, but a third-party who may be entirely unfamiliar with your systems.

Just one piece of advice here: Document the why, and not the how. - What was the thought process behind writing this snippet? - If the snippet can be thought of as multiple small steps, create mini-code blocks using comments highlighting step 1, step 2, .... - If you come back to your code and can't seem to remember why you had written a piece of code the way it is written, it's a good litmus test to know what to document.

Comprehensive documentation is essential for understanding code, especially when it comes to sharing your work with others or revisiting it after some time. Documentation serves as a guide to the purpose, usage, and potential issues of your code.Inline comments should be used judiciously to explain complex sections of code or to provide context where the code might not be immediately clear. External documentation, such as README files, provides a higher-level overview of the project, its structure, and how to set it up. Including information about dependencies, configuration settings, and common tasks helps new contributors or team members get up to speed quickly.

Refactoring involves making improvements to existing code without changing its external behavior. Regularly revisiting and refactoring code is essential for maintaining code quality, enhancing its efficiency, and improving readability. Code evolves over time, and as requirements change, so should the codebase. Refactoring ensures that code remains flexible and adaptable to new features or modifications. It also helps eliminate technical debt—cumulative work that needs to be done to fix issues and improve the codebase.

Como descrito no livro "O Programador Pragmático", escrever software também é lutar contra a entropia (desordem) do sistema. Refatorar o código com consistência (seguindo por exemplo a regra do escoteiro) ajuda a manter o código organizado e evita ciclos de bugs recorrentes que muitas vezes acabam por encurtar a vida útil do código.

Reflection on past code is a valuable practice for continuous improvement. By analyzing what worked well and what didn't, developers can enhance their skills and make better decisions in future projects. Regularly reviewing your own code and seeking feedback from peers through code reviews provides insights into alternative approaches, potential improvements, and best practices. Embracing a growth mindset and being open to learning from both successes and mistakes fosters professional development.

Learning from your code is all about taking the time to review what you've written, understand the outcomes, and take note of what worked and what didn't. It's about growing through experience, honing your skills, and applying those insights to become a better developer. This practice isn't just about fixing bugs—it's about refining your approach to problem-solving and coding with each project you undertake.

Reflecting on past code is a crucial practice for continuous improvement. Analyzing what worked well and understanding areas for improvement contributes to personal and team growth. I encourage continuous learning from code by reviewing post-implementation feedback, conducting retrospectives, and sharing knowledge within the team.

The ability to recognize when not to code is something not to be forgotten. Always take a break from the development process and read. Think. Take in the existing code's meaning. Does it make sense? What should you do about it? Does that truly delivers value? Software engineers must be able to understand the bigger picture of a codebase, just like voracious readers of a book. This process involves delving into the intricacies of the code's architecture, design patterns, and the rationale behind various programming decisions. Understanding the "why" and the "how" of code promotes a better comprehension of the functionality of the product and assures true value to the code to be developed.