By nature, writing code is complex, time-consuming, and sometimes downright frustrating.

Whether you’re writing an app, designing a website, or just messing around, the cleaner and more robust your code, the better your project will turn out. So how, exactly, do you write better code?

We have five code writing tips to help you out! Keep reading to learn more.

1. Code With Intention

Sometimes called Top-Down Coding, or Programming With Intention, this process involves taking the end goal of your code and breaking it down into small, incremental steps. Then, you’ll examine each step and consider the best method for the job.

The idea is that by breaking it apart, the project becomes more manageable and easier to write. This is a great idea if you find yourself overwhelmed, or if you’re left with someone else’s code.

2. Leave Comments

Speaking of others’ code, every programmer writes code in their own way. While that’s not an issue, for the most part, it can lead to some confusion if you aren’t clear.

To avoid miscommunications, make sure to leave notes under your code. The more reference material you have, the easier it’ll be to explain to your partners.

3. Keep It Simple

The best code is clear, easy to read, and only as long as it needs to be.

You’ll save yourself a ton of time and frustration if you only write what you need. Not only will this cut down on obsolete code, but less code means fewer potential fixes.

Your code should be simple enough that a person can read it and get the gist of its purpose within moments.

4. Test, Then Test Again

99.9% of the time, your code won’t work properly. That isn’t a ding on your ability as a coder, it’s just easy to make simple mistakes when you have thousands of lines of code.

Since one mistake is all it takes to throw a monkey wrench into an entire project, do yourself a favor and test your code before submitting it.

Then, test it again. And again. And then a few more times after that.

The more you test, the easier it becomes to weed out unnecessary bits of code, vulnerabilities, or mistakes.

It doesn’t have to take up much time, either. Code analysis tools, which you can learn about here, do the bulk of the work for you.

5. Be Consistent

Coding can take a ton of time. As a result, you might find yourself writing code over multiple sessions.

That’s a great way to avoid burnout! However, if you’re not careful, it’s also a good way to create complex and messy code.

There are plenty of different ways to write code, and all of them are valid. But once you’ve started on a project and decided on its formatting, make sure to stick with it. Otherwise, you’ll end up with frustrated partners and a ton of wasted time.

Transform Your Code With These Code Writing Tips

Code writing habits are like anything else: they take time to change. But if you implement these five strategies, you should come up with stronger and cleaner code in no time!

Check back with our blog for more great content!

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