How do you keep your game state manager code clean and maintainable?

1 Use a consistent naming convention

One of the first steps to keep your game state manager code clean and maintainable is to use a consistent naming convention for your variables, functions, and classes. This will help you avoid confusion and errors, and make your code easier to read and understand. For example, you can use camelCase for your variables and functions, and PascalCase for your classes. You can also use prefixes or suffixes to indicate the type or scope of your variables, such as g_ for global, s_ for static, or _ for private.

2 Use a single source of truth

Another important tip to keep your game state manager code clean and maintainable is to use a single source of truth for your game state data. This means that you should store your game state data in one place, and access it through a single interface. This will prevent data duplication, inconsistency, and synchronization issues. For example, you can use a singleton class or a static class to store and manage your game state data, and provide public methods or properties to access or modify it.

4 Use serialization and deserialization

A fourth tip to keep your game state manager code clean and maintainable is to use serialization and deserialization for your game state data. Serialization is the process of converting your game state data into a format that can be stored or transferred, such as a binary file or a JSON string. Deserialization is the reverse process of converting the stored or transferred data back into your game state data. This will help you save and load your game state data easily, and make your code more portable and compatible. For example, you can use built-in or external libraries or frameworks to serialize and deserialize your game state data.

5 Use comments and documentation

A fifth tip to keep your game state manager code clean and maintainable is to use comments and documentation for your game state code. Comments are short notes or explanations that you write in your code to clarify or describe what your code does or why you wrote it. Documentation is a more detailed and structured description of your code that you write outside your code, such as in a separate file or a website. This will help you communicate and document your game state code, and make it easier for yourself and others to understand and maintain it. For example, you can use comments to explain the purpose or logic of your variables, functions, or classes, and use documentation to provide an overview or a reference of your game state code.

6 Use testing and debugging tools

A sixth and final tip to keep your game state manager code clean and maintainable is to use testing and debugging tools for your game state code. Testing is the process of checking if your game state code works as expected and meets the requirements. Debugging is the process of finding and fixing errors or bugs in your game state code. This will help you ensure the quality and reliability of your game state code, and make it more robust and error-free. For example, you can use testing frameworks or tools to write and run unit tests, integration tests, or regression tests for your game state code, and use debugging tools or features to set breakpoints, watch variables, or step through your game state code.