Have you given any thought to the quality of your code lately?
If you’ve been coding for some time now, chances are the quality of your code may have taken a back seat. Perhaps it’s begun to deteriorate, or perhaps you’ve gotten used to coding a certain way that you’re no longer too concerned about code quality.
But exactly what is code quality anyway?
Defining Quality in Code
It can be difficult to absolutely define code quality primarily because it can mean different things to different people. Users may define quality code as that which serves their purposes, while programmers will define it as code which is easy to understand and modify. Code quality may also differ from one programmer to the next, and from one type of software to the next.
One thing that’s certain is that quality is essential when it comes to code. We may not be able to objectively define code quality, but we know its presence through the positive and much sought-after effects it produces: wider audience reach and increased use and contributions.
Common Characteristics of High Quality Code
While we can’t pinpoint a single, objective definition for code quality, there are a few telling characteristics that many people agree signify good quality code. These characteristics combined almost always guarantee good quality code behind them:
- It works. First and foremost, good quality code simply works, or does what it’s supposed to do.
- Readability. Many developers agree that good quality code is easy to read and understand.
- Simplicity. This is another characteristic of good code that developers agree on. No matter how complex the task a software is capable of doing, the code behind it should be as simple as possible in order to be considered exceptional.
- It can be tested. Specifically, through unit tests.
- It’s easy to maintain and manipulate. Maintenance is always necessary, but it need not be difficult. The same goes for changes. Eventually code will have to be changed in order to become better, and for developers being able to do so easily is a sign of good code.
- It just looks good. There’s something about good quality code the moment you look at it. That something is a combination of proper formatting and good composition that simply makes it good to look at. While the appearance of code may not necessarily affect how the software performs, many developers agree that good looking code is often higher quality code.
Based on these characteristics, it’s easy to determine whether you’re producing high quality code or not. However, the significance of each of these characteristics in determining the quality of code can vary with each individual project. The key takeaway here is that developers should be aware of these characteristics and remain vigilant regarding what is considered good code quality with their own projects.