Two and a half year after starting my retraining, I gave my first tech talk at Girl Code meetup (@ KVK). Since the presentation was limited to only 15 minutes, I couldn’t delve deeply into the topic Maintainable code. That’s why I’m sharing some great resources below that have been very helpful to me.
Do you have more tips? Share them in the comments or on LinkedIn.
Looking for a (new) topic to learn?
Here you will find a roadmap for many IT careers:
- https://roadmap.sh – roadmap.sh is a community effort to create roadmaps, guides and other educational content to help guide developers in picking up a path and guide their learnings.
Maintainable code
Maintainable code is code that can be easily understood, modified, extended, and debugged by any developer, not just the original author. The primary focus is on long-term sustainability. Maintainable code is designed to be adaptable to future changes and easy to maintain over time.
Maintainable code is clean code?
Maintainable code includes clean code principles but also emphasizes modularity, proper documentation, and comprehensive testing. While all clean code is maintainable to some extent, not all maintainable code is necessarily clean.
Readability
Code should be easy to read and understand, which means using clear and descriptive variable names, consistent indentation, and appropriate comments. Readable code allows any developer to quickly grasp what the code does and why, making it easier to maintain and extend.
- Book: Clean Code by Robert C. Martin
Consistency:
Following consistent coding standards and conventions helps ensure that the codebase is uniform, making it easier for developers to navigate and understand.
- Design Patterns for humans: https://github.com/kamranahmedse/design-patterns-for-humans
- List of Design Patterns with illustration. Design Patterns (refactoring.guru)
- Book: Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software
Modularity:
Breaking down code into smaller, reusable modules or functions makes it easier to manage and test.
Simplicity:
Avoiding unnecessary complexity and keeping the code as simple as possible helps in reducing bugs and making the code easier to maintain.
Documentation:
Proper documentation of the code, including inline comments and external documentation, helps other developers understand the code’s purpose and functionality.
Testing:
Writing unit tests and integration tests ensures that the code works as expected and helps catch bugs early.
Refactoring:
Regularly refactoring code to improve its structure and readability without changing its functionality helps keep the codebase clean and maintainable.
- When to refactor? Answer: https://refactoring.guru/refactoring/when
Error Handling:
Implementing robust error handling and logging mechanisms helps in diagnosing and fixing issues quickly.
Other usefull links:
Coding exercises at different levels.
If you want to work at big tech companies, you need to master this.
- https://www.crackingthecodinginterview.com – book and website with exercises
- https://codeforces.com/ exercises
Soft skills
VIDEO: Technical leadership and glue work – Tanya Reilly
Dont like to watch a video? You can read the text here: Being Glue — No Idea Blog.
Learning to program
- Hedy – A programming language specifically designed for learning to program, which later transitions to Python. Developed by a Dutch female developer, Felienne Hermans, who wanted to make learning to program easier. For example, by having less syntax at the beginning and being able to program in your own speaking language. This way, you can really focus on programming instead of the peripheral issues.
Communities
Women In Tech communities / events
- https://www.europeanwomenintech.com
- https://www.shesharp.co – SheSharp is a non-profit foundation
Meet-up groups:
- https://www.meetup.com/girlcode/ – Meetup (in The Netherlands)
- https://www.meetup.com/womens-coding-club/ – Rotterdam
- https://www.meetup.com/rotterdam-women-in-tech/ – Rotterdam
- https://www.meetup.com/shesharp/ (online, Amsterdam based)
- https://www.meetup.com/pyladiesams/ Amsterdam
Do you have a good addition yourself? Feel free to share it in the comments.
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