What are Coding Standards?
Think of coding standards as a set of rules, techniques, and best practices to create cleaner, more readable, more efficient code with minimal errors. They offer a uniform format by which software engineers can use to build sophisticated and highly functional code.
Coding Standards & Best Practices To Follow
- Choose industry-specific coding standards
Coding best practices and standards vary depending on the industry a specific product is being built for. The standards required for coding software for luxury automobiles will differ from those for coding software for gaming.
Adhering to industry-specific standards makes it easier to write accurate code that matches product expectations. It becomes easier to write code that will satisfy the end-users and meet business requirements.
- Focus on code readability
Readable code is easy to follow, optimizes space and time.
- Write as few lines as possible.
- Use appropriate naming conventions.
- Segment blocks of code in the same section into paragraphs.
- Use indentation to marks the beginning and end of control structures. Clearly specify the code between them.
- Standardize headers for different modules
It is easier to understand and maintain code when the headers of different modules align with a singular format. For example, each header should contain:
- Module Name
- Date of creation
- Name of creator of module
- History of modification
- Summary of what the module does
- Functions in that module
- Variables accessed by the module
- Don’t use a single identifier for multiple purposes
Ascribe a name to each variable that clearly describes its purpose. A single variable can’t be assigned multiple values or used for numerous functions.
- Turn daily backups into an instinct
Multiple events can trigger data loss — system crash, dead battery, software glitch, hardware damage, etc. To prevent this, save code daily, and after every modification, no matter how minuscule it may be.
- Leave comments and prioritize documentation
Don’t assume that just because everyone else viewing the code is a developer, they will instinctively understand it without clarification. Take an extra minute to write a comment describing the code function at various points in the script. Ensure that the comments guide any readers through the algorithm and logic implemented.
- Try to formalize Exception Handling
Use the following techniques to minimize damage to overall execution in terms of both time and dev effort:
- Keep the code in a try-catch block.
- Ensure that auto recovery has been activated and can be used.
- Consider that it might be an issue of software/network slowness. Wait a few seconds for the required elements to show up.
- Use real-time log analysis.
Learn more about Exception Handling in Selenium WebDriver.
Despite adhering to the coding best practices detailed above, bear in mind that all code needs to be extensively tested on real browsers and devices. Instead of dealing with emulators and simulators’ many inadequacies, testers are better off using a real device cloud.
By running tests on a real device cloud, performance tests can be conducted to ensure that they are getting accurate results every time.
Whether manual testing or automated Selenium testing, real devices are non-negotiable in the testing equation. In the absence of an in-house device lab, opt for cloud-based testing infrastructure. Run parallel tests on a Cloud Selenium Grid to get faster results without compromising on accuracy.
