Purpose: Creating a functional app is great, but writing high-quality, structured code ensures that your application is scalable, maintainable, and less prone to bugs. As you embark on this journey, remember: quality over quantity!
- Naming Conventions: Consistency is key. Whether it's variables, functions, or classes, always follow a clear naming convention. For instance, in JavaScript, using camelCase for variables and functions and PascalCase for classes is common.
Example: getUserData() (for a function) and UserProfile (for a class).
- DRY (Don't Repeat Yourself): Avoid duplicating code. Instead, identify patterns and create reusable functions or components.
Example: Instead of writing the same data validation logic in multiple places, create a utility function.
- Comments and Documentation: Write meaningful comments, especially for complex logic. However, refrain from over-commenting; your code should be self-explanatory whenever possible. There's also a special commenting format called JSDoc annotations that allows developers to create documentation for their APIs, which is also used by most popular IDEs like VS Code to provide Intellisense functionality.
Example: For a tricky algorithm, a brief overview can be very helpful, but avoid comments like // increments i by 1 for basic operations.
- Code Formatting: Use tools like Prettier or ESLint to automatically format and lint your code, ensuring it adheres to certain standards and is readable.
For a more comprehensive understanding on Naming Conventions, Comments and Documentation you can refer to our book on documentation (don't worry, it's free)
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MVC (Model-View-Controller): A widely used pattern, especially in web applications, that divides your application into three interconnected components.
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Model: Manages the data and business logic.
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View: Handles the UI and presentation.
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Controller: Intermediary that takes user input from the View, processes it (with potential updates to the Model), and returns the display output.
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Example: In a user registration system, the "Model" checks the validity of user data, the "View" displays the registration form, and the "Controller" manages the user input and response display.
- Singleton Pattern: Ensures a class has only one instance and provides a global point of access. This is useful for services like database connections.
Example: A database connection class where you want to ensure that only one connection is active throughout the application's lifecycle.
- Observer Pattern: Allows an object (known as the subject) to publish changes to its state, so that other objects (observers) can react in response.
Example: In a chat application, when a user sends a message (change in state), all other users in the chatroom (observers) are notified.
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Readable Code: Understand the importance of writing code that not only machines can understand but also your fellow developers. This is essential for team projects and future maintenance.
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Scalability and Maintainability: Recognise how applying best practices and design patterns can lead to a more scalable and maintainable application structure.
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Pattern Implementation: Be able to identify scenarios in your application where certain design patterns would be beneficial and implement them effectively.
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Efficient Problem Solving: By following best practices and using design patterns, you'll foster an analytical mindset, helping you tackle complex problems more efficiently.
Coding is an art as much as it's a science. Remember to take a step back, review, refactor, and keep pushing for that clean, structured code. Happy coding! 🚀💡