You're feeling overwhelmed with your code organization. What's the best way to get started?

2 Follow a coding style guide

A coding style guide is a set of rules and conventions that define how your code should look and behave. It covers aspects such as indentation, spacing, naming, comments, formatting, and structure. Following a coding style guide can help you write consistent, readable, and maintainable code that follows the best practices of your programming language and framework. It can also help you avoid common errors and bugs that arise from sloppy or inconsistent code. Some examples of coding style guides are PEP 8 for Python, Google Java Style Guide, and Airbnb JavaScript Style Guide.

3 Use a code editor or IDE

A code editor or an integrated development environment (IDE) is a software application that helps you write, edit, debug, and run your code. It provides features such as syntax highlighting, code completion, error detection, refactoring, formatting, and testing. A code editor or IDE can help you organize your code better by showing you the structure, hierarchy, and dependencies of your files and folders. It can also help you automate some tasks and speed up your workflow. Some popular code editors and IDEs are Visual Studio Code, PyCharm, and Eclipse.

4 Use a code formatter

A code formatter is a tool that automatically formats your code according to a predefined style guide or your own preferences. It can help you save time and avoid manual errors by ensuring that your code is consistent, clean, and easy to read. A code formatter can also help you comply with the coding standards of your project or organization. Some popular code formatters are Prettier, Black, and Beautify.

5 Use a code linter

A code linter is a tool that analyzes your code and checks for potential errors, bugs, vulnerabilities, and bad practices. It can help you improve your code quality and security by highlighting the issues and suggesting fixes or improvements. A code linter can also help you enforce a coding style guide and avoid common mistakes that can cause runtime errors or performance issues. Some popular code linters are ESLint, Flake8, and SonarLint.

6 Use a code documentation tool

A code documentation tool is a tool that helps you generate documentation for your code based on comments, annotations, or conventions. It can help you explain the purpose, functionality, and usage of your code to yourself and others. It can also help you create a reference guide for your project or module that can be easily accessed and updated. A code documentation tool can help you organize your code better by making it more understandable, maintainable, and reusable. Some popular code documentation tools are Sphinx, Javadoc, and Doxygen.

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?