Is there such a thing as a “perfect software development project,” and if so, what measures should you take to get there? Well, there are stringent standards and various best practices for software development, including scrum, extreme programming, spiral development, etc. Still, we have learned that it’s not always practical or advisable to adhere to these procedures rigidly.
It does not mean that we do not try to apply these techniques well; we must remain flexible. As part of this versatility, we should consider the general structures that ensure the success of a project, as well as how consistency and coherence may increase your chances of reaching the “perfect.” There isn’t a “rulebook” on the perfect software development project elements. So, we compiled a list of some of our tried and tested best practices that help Treinetic’s software development projects go more smoothly.
Before that, you must also consider the following symptoms of software development issues. And this is critical whether you are a startup or have a small development team and are unsure if you are on the right track.
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- Software of poor quality
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- Inadequate knowledge of end-user requirements
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- Inability to adapt to changing conditions
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- Unacceptable software performance
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- Software that is difficult to update or expand
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- Serious project problems get discovered late in the process
If you notice any of these symptoms, you must act quickly.
Top 5 Best Practices in Software Development
The tips we are giving you now have the potential to make a significant change. In the meantime, we advise you to keep the following important inaccuracies in mind at all times and do your best to avoid them:
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- Ambiguous communication
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- Inadequate requirement management
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- Inconsistencies between requirements, designs, and implementations that go undetected
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- Frail architecture
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- Overwhelming complications
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- Inadequate testing
So, here are the top five best practices for world-class software development that you must know.
1 Employ the Proper Software Development Process
A well-organized software development process is essential for every project. And this is also termed the software development life cycle (SDLC), necessitates data-driven methods. It’s a comprehensive flowchart split into phases. Each state has its own set of objectives and action items, which is true for software engineering initiatives.
SDLC will assist your team and customers in setting appropriate expectations. This plan also guarantees that your methods are in line with the overall goals. Make it a point to highlight the importance of each job to your team members.
Choosing the best software development method is dependent on your particular needs, customer expectations, specifications, and timeline. And here is one of the most helpful SDLCs for software development: Agile Development.
Agile development, as the name suggests, is excellent for dynamic and fast-paced settings, and it offers the following benefits:
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- To accomplish your objectives, you will need several teams working together in this process. These coordinated efforts by various teams allow the company to identify issues and simplify the process rapidly.
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- Large company developers that operate in a fast-paced and demanding setting adopt this technique.
Apple, Microsoft, and IBM are examples of businesses that utilize the Agile methodology. So, if you have a big company with projects that need flexibility and quick answers in a short period, the agile approach is right for you.
2. Maintain Code Simplicity
Our second piece of advice is one of the most effective coding techniques you can use. That is, “keep your code simple.” The code simplification trend complements other software concepts such as DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself), presented in the book The Pragmatic Programmer.
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- For starters, a program with a simple code makes it easier to keep your other programs simple. And this will help you retain coherence as you advance in your growth. Because a complicated code is like a row of dominoes, one incorrect input may create chaos.
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- Second, a simple code will allow it to be easily modified. Code changes and modifications are typical while developing software. So, keeping your code simple is a kind of self-care.
How can you tell whether your code is simple? There are three basic work tests you may do to determine if your code is simple and clear:
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- Your code is straightforward to test and debug
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- Your code is considerably longer than the comments you’ve used to describe it
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- Only one domain of your code has logic boundaries
3. Continue Documenting Your Progress
This is one of the most often ignored software development best practices. Documentation is one of the many tasks you should have done when working on the project. Your paperwork will serve as a reminder of your core principles and objectives. And this will also keep you in touch with your customers’ requirements. Besides, you should also document your code.
The best practices are the ones that are the most time-consuming but will provide the greatest advantages in the long term. We understand that documenting your code is time-consuming, but it will help you solve one of the numerous issues that may arise in your software project.
4. Maintain consistency across all teams
It’s crucial to maintain a uniform style guide for your codebase within the team. There is no consistency amongst writers if you have a codebase to identify who authored which file. There are many tools available to help you maintain a consistent style; here are three of our favorites:
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- JSCS (Javascript Style Checker) is a JavaScript linter with an attractive format
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- ESLint is a highly customizable linter that has gained a lot of traction in the community
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- Editorconfig is a tool for ensuring uniformity across the many editors and IDEs that your developers use
5. Be realistic in your budget and time estimates
This is one of the most important software development best practices to remember. A sound budget prevents your software projects from becoming overburdened. And this allows the scope to stretch more readily as the project proceeds using agile techniques, but a wrong estimate may create quality, morale, and production issues.
Estimation may be difficult since it’s difficult to strike a good medium between being accurate and playing wrong when there are many uncertainties. You may be confident that improved estimating comes with experience, and there are many tools available to help with software development project code estimates.
We Always Adhere to Software Development Best Practices
Treinetic creates intelligent, cost-effective, and user-friendly web applications, mobile applications, and cloud systems. Our award-winning solutions also assist customers in streamlining business operations and generating new income sources for both startups and large businesses.
Because of adhering to industry-level standards, we can stay on track all of the time. Our customers are always satisfied with what we provide since the product quality is always satisfactory. We constantly use the most up-to-date technology in our work and strive to improve conception from the customer’s point of view. Please get in touch with our team for more information on our solutions.