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I have decided to write a series focusing on the fundamental principles of Software Crafting. My first article, “Code Ownership: A Key to Sustainable Software Development”, was inspired by feedback I received. This is my second article about Software Crafting principles.
This article is a translation of my original piece in Turkish, titled “Kodumun Kalitesi”, which was translated into English with the assistance of ChatGPT.
In this article, I will share principles on “Code Quality” based on my experiences. Feel free to share your feedback after reading — or even before — by reaching out through my contact details at the end of this article.
One of the tenets of the Software Crafting Manifesto is:
“Not only working software, but also well-crafted software.”
This means that as developers, we should not just deliver functional software but also aim to produce high-quality crafted tools — something truly well-made.
In this context, The Quality of My Code is one of the most critical factors in the success of software development processes. The key elements of quality code include: readability, maintainability, low error rates (though no one expects zero errors!), ease of maintenance, and the ability for the codebase to scale horizontally and vertically with ease.
How can we ensure code quality? What principles should we follow?
In the remainder of this article, I’ll discuss what we need to do to improve the quality of our code, based on my experiences. I won’t name any specific tools to avoid advertising, but as you read through the principles, tools you use daily will likely come to mind.
Unit Tests
Haha, the one thing you all expected to see as the first principle: unit tests. 😊
There’s no escaping it — everyone has to write unit tests!
As developers — no, as crafters — it is our responsibility to ensure that what we deliver not only works but continues to work reliably over time and can be easily modified when needed. What’s the fundamental action to achieve this? Testing.
