Software programming is one of the disciplines where people it is encouraging to crack brains and come up with something unique. However, sometimes, programmers run after the new tool or methodology while barely analyzing or enhancing the existing ones. This results in a hoarding of technical debt and confusion within the teams, which in turn slows down the project and impacts the quality of the product. Let’s discuss the most common bad programming practices and how developers can avoid these pitfalls to write cleaner, more maintainable code.
1. Prioritizing New Tools Over Proven Solutions
Some developers consider it fashionable to learn new technologies as if new technologies are automatically superior to the tested solutions. For example, Angular and React support is flexible, but sometimes simple server-side rendering (SSR) with an HTML template is sufficient for basic web applications. Knowing that basic strategies stemming from previous experience are more valuable than the newest ‘silver bullet’ will benefit.
Tip: While using a new tool for a project, assess whether that tool is really necessary for the project or being used to complicate matters.
2. Overusing JavaScript in Web Applications
JavaScript has become a ubiquitous programming language for web applications in the modern age of Single Page Applications (SPA) and frameworks such as Angular and Vue.js. Nevertheless, when the number of JavaScripts becomes large, front-ends become heavily challenging for the user’s device, and code complexity increases. It stays true, especially when the application relies entirely on server-side rendering, where lot of javascript usage turns into the problem rather than the solution.
Tip: However, if your project deals more and more with simple, fast interactions, then consider less to use JavaScript and prefer server-side rendering.
3. Excessive Dependency on Heavy Frameworks
Frameworks such as Spring Boot and JPA are now associated with Java development. But for such microservices that should be small, using heavy frameworks that take a lot of memory defeats the whole purpose of microservices. Even though these frameworks address certain problems, for example, dependency injection or database abstraction, they could be excessive in small and uncomplicated applications.
Tip: Determine the level of complexity of your application and then select the frameworks that you want, keeping in mind the balance between speed and features.
4. Misusing HTTP Methods in REST APIs
Common mistakes include the wrong use of HTTP verbs such as PUT and POST when building RESTful APIs. Although POST is generically usable for all type of requests, developers use PUT only for idempotent operations, especially for creating and updating a particular resource. Using these verbs wrongly will create awkward and unpredictable APIs, which will result in client-side problems and making of the API inconvenient.
Tip: POST for any request which does not qualify as an idempotent request and PUT when the use of HTTP request is stochastic in terms of creating and/or updating a resource.
5. Reinventing the Wheel with Over-Engineered Solutions
One common development mistake is overengineering. Developers may come up with new solutions while they could solve the same problems using basic and easier techniques. Excessive complication often results in the creation of a large amount of unnecessarily complex code that is difficult to maintain, comprehend, and extend, which is detrimental to both the present and future of a project.
Tip: When coming up with a solution, ensure to keep things as simple as possible and evaluate the market if there are tools that can address your problem.
6. Ignoring Team Collaboration and Code Readability
Many developers may enjoy writing large, complicated, or hard-to-understand code as it symbolizes their mastery of the craft, but when working in a team, such practices are counterproductive. The code should also be readable by the team. Poorly documented and hard to follow code is technical debt. Each and every member of the team should be able to manage and upgrade the code without much confusion.
Tip: Developer is not just coding a computer but also writing for people. Document your code, use meaningful variable names, write functions that are not too complex and make code understandable rather than cryptic.
7. Lack of Clear Project Documentation
Documentation is normally overlooked in the process of developing projects. Due to insufficient documentation, the teams cannot onboard new developers, seek help in solving problems, or expand the system. Documentation is especially necessary to keep a project well-functioning and easy to scale, as well as to prevent certain issues most teams face.
Tip: Make sure you document well across each stage, from the setup and architecture to the methods being used and even the different APIs that you intend to use when designing and implementing sustainable code.
8. Over-Reliance on Global Variables and Hard-Coding
Global variables are not ideal when several functions change a global variable randomly without putting in check, this brings about tough bugs and difficulties in debugging. Furthermore, it is not suitable for programming practices to hard code data because it complicates the modification of values as well as scaling of codes. They decrease flexibility and, in general, signal that it is better to refactor code.
Tip: Local variables should be used wherever possible, as should constants or configuration files for values like the PI constant. This makes the code more modular, so if there is a bug or you actually want to improve upon some of your designs, you can do so much more easily.
9. Failing to Keep Code Modular and Maintainable
Modular code divides the task into parts and subparts, making it easy for teams to handle. However, general software development that does not call for modularity results in highly integrated and complex components that are difficult to modify uniquely. This, of course, makes things like adding a feature or refactoring code much more difficult and time-consuming and, therefore, more expensive.
Tip: Use design patterns such as MVC (Model-View-Controller) or microservices architecture to ensure that code is cleanly separated and easily extensible.
Conclusion
While new technologies can drive progress, bad programming practices often arise when developers embrace complexity over simplicity, leading to issues that compound over time. With regard to these practices, developers are then able to enhance cooperation, higher quality code implementation, and more tenable software products.
