Programming Best Practices: A Junior Developer's Guide

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Entering the world of software development can seem overwhelming at first: new languages, tools, frameworks, methodologies. But one thing is for sure: following good programming practices is essential to writing clear, maintainable, and robust code.

In this article, we want to share some of the most important best practices to keep in mind during development. These techniques are considered industry standards and will help you write professional code right away.

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1. Write readable code

Code is read many more times than it is written. You too, in six months, could reread what you are writing today. Here are some tips:

  • Use descriptive variable and function names: prefer calculateTotalPrice() instead of calcTP().

  • Keep a structure consistent: respect the style conventions of the language you are using.

  • Avoid useless code just for fear of "breaking" some logic.

❌ Bad Practice:

def p(x):
    return x * 3.14

✅ Good Practice:

def calculate_circle_perimeter(radius): 
    return radius * 3.14

🔍 Why?
Clear names avoid ambiguity and help the reader understand the purpose of the code without guessing.


2. Follow the KISS principle: Keep It Simple, Stupid

Don't complicate your code unnecessarily. Simple solutions are often the best. Avoid overengineering: don't build too abstract structures if you don't really need them.

❌ Bad Practice:

function isEven(num) {
    return num % 2 === 0 ? true : false;
}

✅ Good Practice:

function isEven(num) { 
    return num % 2 === 0;
}

🔍 Why?
Avoid unnecessarily complex logic. The code should be direct and simple.


3. Apply the DRY principle: Don't Repeat Yourself

Duplicate code is a source of bugs. If you notice that you are writing the same logic twice, consider whether it can be encapsulated in a reusable function.

❌ Bad Practice:

let area1 = length1 * width1;
let area2 = length2 * width2;
let area3 = length3 * width3;

✅ Good Practice:

function calculateArea(length, width) { 
    return length * width;
}

let area1 = calculateArea(length1, width1);
let area2 = calculateArea(length2, width2);
let area3 = calculateArea(length3, width3);

🔍 Why?
Centralizing logic prevents errors and makes code easier to maintain.


4. Code Versioning with Git

Learn to use Git right away. It's the standard for code versioning and team collaboration. Some best practices:

  • Commit frequently and descriptively (feat: added login functionality)

  • Branching by feature (feature/login-form)

  • Pull request to share and review code

❌ Bad Practice:

git commit -m "miscellaneous changes"

✅ Good Practice:

git commit -m "fix: corrected error in validating the login form"

🔍 Why?
Clear commit messages tell the story of the project in a way that is readable and understandable for everyone.


5. Write tests (even if only a few)

Even if you are just starting out, try writingtests and try to automate them. They help you understand if your code works and avoid future regressions. Start with simple tests for the most important functions.

❌ Bad Practice:

def sum(a, b): 
    return a + b

✅ Good Practice:

def sum(a, b): 
    return a + b

def test_sum(): 
    assert sum(2, 3) == 5 
    assert sum(-1, 1) == 0

🔍 Why?
Even simple tests help you avoid regressions and hidden errors.


6. Error Handling

Don't ignore errors. Anticipate abnormal situations and handle them clearly: it is better to report an error than to leave the app in an inconsistent state.

❌ Bad Practice:

function fetchProductData(productId) {
    const response = fetch(`/api/products/${productId}`);
    const data = response.json();
    console.log(data.name);
}

✅ Good Practice:

async function fetchProductData(productId) {
    try { 
        const response = await fetch(`/api/products/${productId}`); 

        if (!response.ok) { 
            throw new Error(`Error in request: ${response.status}`); 
        } 

        const data = await response.json(); 

        if (!data.name) { 
            throw new Error("The field 'name' is not present in the data");
        }

        console.log(data.name);

    } catch (error) {
        console.error("Error retrieving product data:", error.message);
    }
}

🔍 Why?

  • Use try...catch to catch network or parsing errors.

  • Verify that the response is correct (response.ok).

  • Validate data before using it.

  • Show a clear error message in the console (or UI).


7. Do code reviews (and accept them)

Accept feedback with humility. Code reviews are an opportunity for growth. Likewise, if you happen to review someone else's code, be respectful and constructive.

❌ Bad Practice:

"It works on my computer, I don't change anything."

✅ Good Practice:

"You're right, this function doesn't handle this case. I'll restructure it and update the PR."

🔍 Why?
Accepting constructive criticism improves the quality of the project and accelerates your professional growth.


8. Study standards and design patterns

Know SOLID principles, design patterns, and the standards of the language you're using will help you write flexible, scalable, and maintainable code.

❌ Bad Practice:

"Implementing process management from scratch"

✅ Good Practice:

"Using design patterns to create best-practice code"

🔍 Why?
Following naming standards and design patterns such as MVC, Singleton, Factory helps to make the code familiar to every developer. Some useful links:


9. Document (enough)

No need to write novels, but a README.md in the project and some notes on how to install or run the code is always useful, both for you and for those who come after you.

❌ Bad Practice:

No README, no explanation, incomprehensible code.

✅ Good Practice:

# User Management Project

## How to run
1. Clone the repo
2. Run `npm install`
3. Start with `npm start`

## Description
App that allows the registration and management of users...

🔍 Why?
A little documentation makes the project accessible to you in the future and to anyone else who needs to use or maintain it.


10. 📝 Comment helpfully

Comments should explain the "why", not the "how" (which should be clear from the code itself). Useless, obvious or obsolete comments can create confusion instead of help.

❌ Bad Practice:

// Convert to UTC
const utcDate = new Date(localDate).toISOString();

✅ Good Practice:

// Convert the date to UTC format to avoid time zone issues on the server
const utcDate = new Date(localDate).toISOString();

🔍 Why?

  • Write comments only when they are needed.
  • Explain why you are doing something, not what a single line does.
  • Keep comments up to date: an outdated comment is worse than no comment at all comment.
  • Tip: good code is self-commenting. If you need a lot of comments, maybe the logic is too complicated and needs to be revised.


🎁 Bonus: Keep learning

Programming is an ever-changing field. Follow blogs, participate in communities, read open-source code. The more code you read, the better you will get.

❌ Bad Practice:

“I finished school, I don't study anymore.”

✅ Good Practice:

“I read an article about Generative AI, we could apply it to improve user support for our site/app!”

🔍 Why?
The tech world is evolving (too) quickly. Constantly learning is the only way to stay relevant and improve.


🎯 Conclusion

Following these best practices will help you stand out as a developer, improve the quality of the code you write, and make it easier to work in a team. 

It's not just about writing working code, it's about writing quality code, which is easy to read, modify and maintain over time.

Remember: code is not just for machines, it is mostly for humans.



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