1. Write Clean & Readable Code

Code should be easy to read and understand, even months after you wrote it.

✅ Best Practices:

  1. Use meaningful variable and function names (e.g., calculateTotalPrice() instead of calcTP()).
  2. Follow consistent indentation and spacing.
  3. Break long functions into smaller, reusable functions.

📌 Example:

# Bad Practice
def fn(a, b):
return a * b + 10

# Good Practice
def calculate_total(price, tax_rate):
return price * tax_rate + 10

2. Follow Naming Conventions

Consistent naming conventions improve code clarity and maintainability.

✅ Best Practices:

  1. camelCase for variables and functions: getUserData().
  2. PascalCase for class names: UserProfile.
  3. UPPER_CASE_SNAKE_CASE for constants: MAX_RETRIES = 3.

📌 Example:

class UserProfile {
private String userName;
private final int MAX_LOGIN_ATTEMPTS = 5;
}

3. Keep Functions & Classes Small and Focused

A function should do one thing only (Single Responsibility Principle).

✅ Best Practices:

  1. Limit functions to one responsibility.
  2. Keep classes small and modular.

📌 Example:

// Bad Practice: Function does multiple things
function processUser(name, email) {
validateEmail(email);
saveToDatabase(name, email);
sendWelcomeEmail(email);
}

// Good Practice: Split into separate functions
function validateEmail(email) { ... }
function saveToDatabase(name, email) { ... }
function sendWelcomeEmail(email) { ... }

4. Avoid Hardcoding Values

Use constants or configuration files instead of hardcoded values.

📌 Example:

// Bad Practice
$tax = 0.07;

// Good Practice
define('TAX_RATE', 0.07);

5. Use Comments Wisely

Comments should explain why something is done, not just what is happening.

✅ Best Practices:

  1. Avoid obvious comments (i++ // increment i).
  2. Use docstrings or block comments for complex logic.

📌 Example:

# Bad Comment
total = price * 1.1 # Multiply by 1.1

# Good Comment
# Applying a 10% sales tax to the total price
total = price * 1.1

6. Follow DRY (Don't Repeat Yourself) Principle

Reusing code prevents duplication and makes maintenance easier.

📌 Example:

# Bad Practice: Repeating logic
puts "Hello, John!"
puts "Hello, Sarah!"

# Good Practice: Create a function
def greet(name)
puts "Hello, #{name}!"
end

greet("John")
greet("Sarah")

7. Use Proper Error Handling

Handle errors gracefully instead of letting your application crash.

📌 Example:

// Bad Practice
int result = 10 / userInput; // Might cause division by zero error

// Good Practice
try {
int result = 10 / userInput;
} catch (ArithmeticException e) {
System.out.println("Error: Division by zero.");
}

8. Use Version Control (Git)

Using Git helps you track changes, collaborate, and revert code when necessary.

✅ Best Practices:

  1. Write meaningful commit messages (Fix login bug instead of Update file).
  2. Use branches for new features (feature/add-payment).
  3. Follow a .gitignore file to exclude unnecessary files.

📌 Example:

git commit -m "Refactor authentication module for better performance"

9. Optimize Code for Performance

Efficient code runs faster and uses fewer resources.

✅ Best Practices:

  1. Avoid unnecessary loops and redundant calculations.
  2. Use efficient data structures (e.g., sets instead of lists for fast lookups).
  3. Optimize database queries by adding indexes.

📌 Example:

# Bad Practice: Using a loop for lookup
if item in my_list: # O(n) complexity

# Good Practice: Using a set for faster lookup
if item in my_set: # O(1) complexity

10. Use Linters and Formatters

Linters catch syntax errors and enforce coding standards.

✅ Popular Linters & Formatters:

  1. ESLint (JavaScript)
  2. Black (Python)
  3. Prettier (Multiple languages)
  4. PHP-CS-Fixer (PHP)

📌 Example:

# Auto-format Python code using Black
black my_script.py

11. Use Logging for Debugging & Monitoring

Logging helps track issues without exposing sensitive errors to users.

📌 Example:

// Bad Practice
console.log(userData);

// Good Practice
console.error("User data retrieval failed:", userData);

12. Follow Security Best Practices

✅ Best Practices:

  1. Validate and sanitize user input to prevent SQL injection and XSS attacks.
  2. Use prepared statements for database queries.
  3. Hash passwords instead of storing them in plain text.

📌 Example:

// Good Practice: Using Prepared Statements in PHP
$stmt = $conn->prepare("SELECT * FROM users WHERE email = ?");
$stmt->bind_param("s", $email);
$stmt->execute();

13. Write Unit Tests

Testing ensures your code works as expected and prevents future bugs.

✅ Popular Testing Frameworks:

  1. JUnit (Java)
  2. PyTest (Python)
  3. Jest (JavaScript)

📌 Example (Python Test Case):

import unittest

def add(a, b):
return a + b

class TestMath(unittest.TestCase):
def test_add(self):
self.assertEqual(add(2, 3), 5)

unittest.main()

14. Document Your Code & Project

Good documentation helps future developers (including yourself).

✅ Best Practices:

  1. Write a README.md file with setup instructions.
  2. Use docstrings and API documentation.

📌 Example:

# My Project
## Installation
Run the following command: sh install.sh

15. Keep Learning & Improving

Technology evolves, so keep learning and improving your coding practices.

✅ Best Practices:

  1. Read official documentation and coding blogs.
  2. Contribute to open-source projects.
  3. Follow industry best practices and design patterns.

Conclusion

By following these common coding practices, you’ll write code that is clean, efficient, and maintainable. Here’s a quick recap:

✔ Write clean and readable code

✔ Follow naming conventions

✔ Keep functions small and modular

✔ Avoid hardcoded values

✔ Handle errors properly

✔ Use version control (Git)

✔ Optimize performance

✔ Use testing and logging

✔ Follow security best practices

By incorporating these habits into your coding routine, you'll become a better developer and write code that others can easily understand and maintain. 🚀