* If in a loosely typed language go way out of your way to ensure conventions are in place to identify things by data type. TypeScript has completely changed how I look at JavaScript particularly its use of interfaces for defining objects and data structures.
* Limit your use of dependencies as much as possible. In my current personal project I am down to 1 dependency. Dependencies will weigh a project down and prevent nimble shifts of direction. This also includes frameworks and tools.
* Write good documentation and keep it up to date. Automate the authoring of documentation where you can so that it stays up to date with less manual intervention.
* Isolate concerns as much as possible so that a feature can be deleted and replaced with as little effort as possible.
* Keep things simple. This requires lots of extra effort both in planning and refactoring. When there are fewer pieces and everything is as uniform or consistent change requires far less effort and leaves far less dead code in its place.
* Don't abstract things for convenience or easiness. Abstractions are incredibly helpful when they result in simplicity (fewer pieces and fewer ways of doing things). Absolutely don't use abstractions as a means of being clever or for vanity reasons. Then you just have extra code and the larger a project gets the harder it is test and change.
* When other people want to impose their opinions on you push back until they come back with test automation and/or strong provable evidence of a better way of doing things. If they still try to impose their opinions on you, and this will happen, kindly tell them to go fuck themselves. So much of the stupidity in programming comes from baseless irrational subjectivity.
* Test automation. Its not about how you test, but about what you test. There is a lot of nonsense out there about how to test. In my current personal project I have automation in place for code validation, compile checks, command tests in the terminal, service tests. Soon, as I figure it out, I will be adding test automation for user interaction and user data storage. However you are able to execute all the kinds of tests you need just do it. The goal is to promise your software can deliver a feature and prove it with test automation and then add more tests later to cover for edge cases you did not consider.
Comments
Here is my personal checklist:
* If in a loosely typed language go way out of your way to ensure conventions are in place to identify things by data type. TypeScript has completely changed how I look at JavaScript particularly its use of interfaces for defining objects and data structures.
* Limit your use of dependencies as much as possible. In my current personal project I am down to 1 dependency. Dependencies will weigh a project down and prevent nimble shifts of direction. This also includes frameworks and tools.
* Write good documentation and keep it up to date. Automate the authoring of documentation where you can so that it stays up to date with less manual intervention.
* Isolate concerns as much as possible so that a feature can be deleted and replaced with as little effort as possible.
* Keep things simple. This requires lots of extra effort both in planning and refactoring. When there are fewer pieces and everything is as uniform or consistent change requires far less effort and leaves far less dead code in its place.
* Don't abstract things for convenience or easiness. Abstractions are incredibly helpful when they result in simplicity (fewer pieces and fewer ways of doing things). Absolutely don't use abstractions as a means of being clever or for vanity reasons. Then you just have extra code and the larger a project gets the harder it is test and change.
* When other people want to impose their opinions on you push back until they come back with test automation and/or strong provable evidence of a better way of doing things. If they still try to impose their opinions on you, and this will happen, kindly tell them to go fuck themselves. So much of the stupidity in programming comes from baseless irrational subjectivity.
* Test automation. Its not about how you test, but about what you test. There is a lot of nonsense out there about how to test. In my current personal project I have automation in place for code validation, compile checks, command tests in the terminal, service tests. Soon, as I figure it out, I will be adding test automation for user interaction and user data storage. However you are able to execute all the kinds of tests you need just do it. The goal is to promise your software can deliver a feature and prove it with test automation and then add more tests later to cover for edge cases you did not consider.