Smarter Code: Practical Tips Every Technologist Needs

Want to write cleaner, more efficient code? Mastering practical coding tips is essential for any technologist aiming to improve their skills and deliver high-quality software. But with so much information available, where do you even begin? Are these the tips and tricks that will actually make a difference in your daily coding life?

1. Embrace Linters: Your Code’s Best Friend

Linters are automated tools that analyze your code for potential errors, stylistic inconsistencies, and suspicious constructs. Think of them as a tireless, detail-oriented colleague constantly reviewing your work. I can’t overstate how important this is. Using a linter is one of the most impactful things you can do to improve your coding. One of the most popular choices is ESLint for JavaScript. ESLint can be configured to enforce specific coding styles, such as indentation, line length, and variable naming conventions. It can also detect potential errors like unused variables, missing semicolons, and incorrect use of comparison operators.

How to set up ESLint:

1. Install ESLint globally or locally using npm: npm install -g eslint or npm install --save-dev eslint.
2. Create an ESLint configuration file: eslint --init. This will guide you through a series of questions to customize your ESLint settings.
3. Integrate ESLint into your editor. Most popular editors have ESLint plugins that provide real-time feedback as you type.

We’ve found that enforcing a strict coding style from the beginning of a project drastically reduces the amount of time spent on code reviews and debugging later on. It’s an investment that pays off handsomely.

Pro Tip: Don’t be afraid to customize your linter rules. The default settings may not always be appropriate for your specific project. Tailor the rules to match your team’s coding style and preferences.

2. Master the Art of Refactoring

Refactoring is the process of improving the internal structure of code without changing its external behavior. It’s like renovating a house: you’re making improvements behind the scenes to make it more comfortable and efficient, without altering its fundamental purpose. A key technique is breaking down large, complex functions into smaller, more manageable ones. For example, instead of having a single function that handles multiple tasks, create separate functions for each task. This makes the code easier to understand, test, and maintain.

Refactoring Example (JavaScript):

Before:

function processOrder(order) {
// Calculate total price
let totalPrice = 0;
for (let item of order.items) {
totalPrice += item.price * item.quantity;
}

// Return order summary
return {
totalPrice: totalPrice,
shippingCost: shippingCost,
};
}

After:

function calculateTotalPrice(order) {
let totalPrice = 0;
for (let item of order.items) {
totalPrice += item.price * item.quantity;
}
return totalPrice;
}

return {
totalPrice: discountedPrice,
shippingCost: shippingCost,
};
}

Notice how the “After” version is more modular and easier to understand. Each function has a clear responsibility, making it easier to test and maintain.

Common Mistake: Refactoring without tests. Before making any significant changes, make sure you have adequate test coverage to ensure that your changes don’t break existing functionality. Otherwise, you’re just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. You don’t want to end up like rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.

3. Write Unit Tests: Verify Your Code’s Correctness

Unit tests are automated tests that verify the behavior of individual units of code, such as functions or classes. They are essential for ensuring that your code works as expected and for preventing regressions (bugs that reappear after being fixed). Popular testing frameworks include Jest and Mocha for JavaScript, JUnit for Java, and pytest for Python.

Example Unit Test (Jest):

Let’s say you have a function called add that takes two numbers as input and returns their sum.

function add(a, b) {
return a + b;
}

Here’s how you can write a unit test for this function using Jest:

test('adds 1 + 2 to equal 3', () => {
expect(add(1, 2)).toBe(3);
});

This test asserts that calling add(1, 2) should return 3. If the function returns a different value, the test will fail.

Pro Tip: Aim for high test coverage. While 100% coverage is not always achievable or necessary, strive to cover as much of your code as possible with unit tests. This will give you greater confidence in the correctness of your code.

4. Embrace Version Control: Track Your Changes

Git is the de facto standard for version control. It allows you to track changes to your code, collaborate with others, and revert to previous versions if necessary. Use it. Even if you are working on a solo project. Learning Git is one of the best investments a developer can make. Commit your changes frequently and write clear, descriptive commit messages. This will make it easier to understand the history of your code and to identify the source of bugs.

Example Git Workflow:

1. Create a new branch for each feature or bug fix: git checkout -b feature/new-feature.
2. Make your changes and commit them with descriptive messages: git commit -m "Add new feature".
3. Push your branch to a remote repository: git push origin feature/new-feature.
4. Create a pull request to merge your branch into the main branch.
5. Review the pull request and merge it if it’s approved.

I had a client last year who lost weeks of work because they weren’t using version control. They were making changes directly to their production server and accidentally overwrote some important files. Don’t make the same mistake. Use Git, and use it properly. As we discussed in Engineer Errors: Avoid Project Failure & Build Better, some mistakes are easily avoided.

Common Mistake: Committing large, infrequent changes. Break down your changes into smaller, more manageable commits. This makes it easier to review and revert changes if necessary.

5. Document Your Code: Explain Your Intentions

Writing clear, concise documentation is essential for making your code understandable to others (and to your future self). Use comments to explain complex logic, document function parameters and return values, and provide context for your code. Tools like JSDoc (for JavaScript) and Sphinx (for Python) can help you generate documentation from your code comments.

Example JSDoc Comment:

/**
* Adds two numbers together.
*
* @param {number} a The first number.
* @param {number} b The second number.
* @returns {number} The sum of the two numbers.
*/
function add(a, b) {
return a + b;
}

This comment provides a clear description of the function, its parameters, and its return value. JSDoc can then be used to generate HTML documentation from these comments.

Pro Tip: Keep your documentation up-to-date. Outdated documentation is worse than no documentation at all. Make sure to update your comments whenever you make changes to your code. Here’s what nobody tells you: documenting as you go saves time. Waiting until the end is a recipe for incomplete, rushed documentation.

6. Continuously Learn and Experiment

The field of technology is constantly evolving, so it’s essential to continuously learn and experiment with new tools and techniques. Read books, attend conferences, take online courses, and contribute to open-source projects. Don’t be afraid to try new things and to step outside of your comfort zone. One of the best ways to learn is by doing, so find a project that interests you and start coding!

We’ve seen developers significantly improve their skills by dedicating just a few hours each week to learning new technologies. Even small, consistent efforts can make a big difference over time. Consider allocating time each Friday afternoon to explore new libraries or frameworks. To stay ahead of the curve, tech news is something you can’t ignore.

Common Mistake: Getting stuck in your ways. Don’t be afraid to challenge your assumptions and to try new approaches. The best developers are those who are always learning and growing.

These practical coding tips are only a starting point. The key is to integrate them into your daily workflow and to continuously refine your skills. By embracing these practices, you can write cleaner, more efficient, and more maintainable code, ultimately becoming a more effective and valuable technologist. Want to make sure you future-proof your skills?

Don’t just read these tips—implement them. Start by integrating a linter into your next project, and watch how quickly your code quality improves. This single step will lay the foundation for a more disciplined and effective coding approach, and that’s an advantage you can’t afford to ignore.