Coding best practices: Difference between revisions

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'''Coding best practices''' or '''programming best practices''' are a set of informal rules (''[[best practice]]s'') that many [[software developer]]s in [[computer programming]] follow to improve [[software quality]].Many computer programs remain in use for long periods of time,<ref>{{cite book

| title = Code Complete

| url = https://archive.org/details/codecomplete0000mcco

| url-access = registration

| edition = Second

| last = McConnell

| first = Steve

| year = 2004

| publisher = Microsoft Press

| isbn = 0-7356-1967-0}}</ref>

Many computer programs remain in use for long periods of time,<ref>{{cite book

| title = Software Engineering

| edition = Seventh

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| page = 38}}</ref> so any rules need to facilitate both initial development and subsequent maintenance and enhancement of [[source code]] by people other than the original authors.

In the [[Ninety–ninety rule|ninety-ninety rule]], Tom Cargill is credited with an explanation as to why programming projects often run late: <!-- these do add to 180%, and are meant to (=late project). See linked Ninety-ninety rule --> "The first 90% of the code accounts for the first 90% of the development time. The remaining 10% of the code accounts for the other 90% of the development time." Any guidance which can redress this lack of foresight is worth considering.

The size of a project or program has a significant effect on error rates, programmer productivity, and the amount of management needed.<ref>{{cite book