Code quality is essential for proper software development as poor quality code can lead to a lot of waste in terms of time and finances. Code quality and usefulness often come down to its maintainability, i.e., how long can it be reused and redeveloped without becoming obsolete. Furthermore, code that follows a proper structure and language can be easily understood by other developers, thus making it more functional. Its reusability means that you don’t have to constantly rework or update it, thus saving time and resources.
It’s imperative for developers to create quality code so that the software remains durable, can be used by anyone, and can be easily maintained by the end users. Furthermore, quality code has the ability to meet all of the user’s commands and requirements and doesn’t crash or respond in a haphazard or unpredictable manners.
Additionally, quality code can be beneficial in the following ways:
• Readable and predictable coding is easier to document and review, thus lowering the cost and resources necessary for future development and QA testing.
• Extensions by other developers become easier as they can easily understand the code.
• Code that’s simple is easier to test for bugs, thus making them cleaner and more consistent.
• Quality code minimizes the technical debt, i.e., the cost of additional rework.
Software projects have to go through various stages of development such as requirements determination, analysis, development, testing, deploying, and ongoing maintenance. Due to the wide array and volume of tasks their given, poorly managed developers may slack off on the coding, rush through it, and cut corners. While this might seem like a time-effective method at the time, it can lead to a lot of issues and end-up costing more time to correct the unnecessary errors that occurs as a result in the long run.
So, what makes quality code? There’s no one unified definition for it. However, you can measure the quality of code in the following ways.
When software is created, you must take into consideration that users won’t always use it exactly how it’s meant to be used. For example, some users might enter an incorrect records value into the variable that can cause the software to crash as it waits for specific records. Furthermore, if a code isn’t clean and well-designed, users may be met with an error wherein the application doesn’t accept a legitimate input as well. The number of problems that can arise are endless. As such, a developer must write code in a manner that all of these issues are minimized.
Writing reliable robust applications means that software is inherently capable of automatically addressing issues like incorrect input. To avoid the issue of an incorrect input, a programmer can write code that requests the user to enter the correct code with instead of simply crashing. There are a number of ways to improve the reliability of an application. For example, validation routines can be used to ensure that an incorrect input is met with the correct systems output message. Several rounds of vetting and testing should be carried out before distribution of the software.
If you take these precautions, you can be assured that the software won’t behave unpredictably and that it won’t crash due to small errors on the part of the user. Robustness means that a software is inherently capable of handling external errors and guiding the users in the correct manner. For example, let’s say an application is requesting the first and last names of an individual. The individual in question enters letters for the first name but enters numbers for the last name. In this case, the code has been written so as to reject the entering of numbers in this field and informs the user to enter letters instead. In this case, the application is robust and reliable because the programmer wrote code to reject the number and send a message requesting the user to enter the correct input.
A software must be easy to use and reuse. A developer must program the software in a manner so that it can be easily updated by any other developer in the future as well, thus also enhancing the consumer’s future experience with the application.
In order for the application to be reusable by the user, it must be well structured. For example, if the interface comprises several different controls like buttons, text boxes, display boxes, etc., then they should be organized and grouped in a manner that they can be easily detected and used by the user.
It should be easy for the users, at first glance, to locate the provided features and controls. Furthermore, the controls should also be followed with explanatory notes so the user knows how to use them.
High-quality applications must be portable, i.e., they should be applicable for use in various different hardware such as smartphones, desktop, etc, and they should follow multiple software structures as well. Portability is especially useful in this day and age wherein different consumers use a variety of different gadgets. For example, some people use Android phones whereas some use iPhones. Furthermore, the same consumer might want to use the application in their tablet, computer, and smartphone. As such, the application should be designed in a way that it can work on all of them to increase their utility.
Quality code is far easier to maintain in the long run than applications using poor code. It’s likely that the first few iterations of software and applications may contain bugs, glitches, or errors that went unnoticed in the first round of the testing phase. As such, it should be easy for the developers to constantly update the applications and its code as new issues arise. Even if the code is written such that there’s no glitches or errors at all, it might still be necessary to routinely update them to introduce new features.
Furthermore, applications should also come with features like Feedback Form wherein users can send usage reports. As such, if a glitch has been identified by a user, they can inform you. Readable and clean code is necessary as it makes all of these maintenance processes easier.
In addition to feedback forms and the cleanliness of the coding, you can also increase maintainability by documenting the technical information so that future errors can easily be discovered and addressed. In conclusion, it’s essential to maintain high-quality code so that you can enhance the efficiency of your maintenance, development, testing, and pretty much all other processes.
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