Coding is the primary foundation of software development, on which relies the success and level of maintenance needed for the product.

If the quality of the code is ‘good,’ then it is maintainable and reusable. On the other hand, a ‘poor’ quality code would need a further investment of time and money to make it usable.

Project development involves a limited timeline. Working against the clock, developers think it is a good idea to cut corners while coding. In the long run, however, it leads to financial loses and a waste of time in maintenance.

A well-structured code adheres to the language rules, making it understandable for different browsers and developers. It is more reliable and requires less rework when reusing.

Let’s explore deeper into what is code quality, its importance, the coding standard to follow and how to improve on the existing code:

What is Code Quality?

Standardization is essential for the success of any business. It is the same with software development. A standard code quality sets the structural foundation on which the entire project stands and, in turn, the growth of the company.

Maintaining the standard of code quality is not an easy job. It requires undeterred focus, time, and efforts. Primarily, a high-quality, good code is reusable and easy to maintain, whereas a bad code is of poor quality and does not follow language rules.

Developers face different pressures during every stage of project development. The urgency from the client, the number of features to add, and the variety of projects on the developers’ plate, lead to a lack of focus when writing the codebase. Priority goes to function over form and the code quality drops.

It is essential to focus on the quality of code for proper software development to save time and money for the clients and the developers. Code quality and its usefulness depend on maintainability or how long it can be reused without becoming obsolete. Reusing the code will also save time and resources in writing a new codebase for the same digital product.

You can tell the code is of good quality if it is consistent in style, does what it should, is readable, well-documented, and can be tested. It is durable and doesn’t crash or react unpredictably. It meets the requirements of the developer follows the language rules and structure, making it readable for other developers and therefore more functional.

The Importance of Code Quality in Software Development

The quality of codebase influences the performance, speed, and user experience of the software, so it is vital not to cut corners when writing the code. Instead of finding it time-consuming, make code quality a priority.

Maintaining the standard of code quality has a number of benefits in software development. Not only does it ensure the success of the application and your business, but it also lowers technical debt. High-Quality code is understandable, maintainable, and extendable, which lowers overall effort invested in the development.

Here are some ways how maintaining code quality helps in software development:

Lowers Technical Debt

Technical debt by definition is the implied cost incurred over additional rework that results from choosing convenience instead of investing time and effort in the beginning.

A high-quality code lowers technical debt as developers can reuse the same code for multiple software, speeding up the development process. Plus, it limits the time spent fixing bugs and errors in programming.

Additionally, with a readable code, new members can join the team without much difficulty.

Lowers Code Complexity

A code that follows the language conventions is simple to understand. The lack of complexity increases the testability and robustness of the software, which lowers the probability of bugs.

Builds Clients’ Trust

Maintaining a standard of code quality will ensure that there are no bugs or errors in the software. It will help in gaining the clients’ trust and build your portfolio.

Convenient Modification and Maintenance

High-quality code offers high readability and reusability which makes it possible for anyone to understand and redevelop the code. It allows convenient modifications and maintenance of the code.

Developers can upgrade the software, add new features, and more without hassle. It is easier to track bugs and fix errors if the code contains proper documentation and follow language rules.

Saves Time and Effort

With an easy to understand code, developers can speed up the development processes meeting the clients’ deadlines without trouble. A reusable code will allow the developer to focus on creating valuable and useful software, instead of wasting time fixing bugs errors.

Furthermore, a high-quality, reusable code will prevent a delay in the timeline. It will ensure the product is launched as planned.

Maximum Profitability

As a high-quality code decreases development time, it increases the probability of maximizing the profit earned.

Adds Value to the Software

The software cost depends on the quality of the code used. Since no one wants to invest in an unstructured product, it is essential that developers put more effort into maintaining the code quality to increase the value of their work.

No Security Concerns

Inconsistent code makes the software susceptible to cyberattacks and bugs. Poor coding practices lead to faulty programming and errors in logic that leave the software open to malware. Code quality will ensure that no security risks occur.

No Performance Issues

Errors in the code cause performance issues in the software. It could include a variety of things like slow load time, delayed server response time, reusability of the code, and more. Maintaining the coding standards eliminates performance limitations and ensure a secure site.

How to Measure Code Quality

Code quality is an essential investment for product development; instead of a variable, it should be the constant in your equation. Maintaining a standard code quality is not only an efficient way to reduce technical debt, but a high-quality code is also easy to understand, maintain, and extend as needed. It lowers the effort invested in the overall development processes.

Code quality can be determined in different ways. Here are some of the parameters to measure the code quality of your software:

Readability and Consistency

Readability is how easy the code is to understand not just for the creator, but anyone who deals with it. It is essential that not only computers but humans understand the code as well.

Its clarity and simplicity make it comprehensible, convenient to maintain and extend as necessary. To maintain the consistency of the code, it is best to follow the conventions of the programming language used.

With a high difficulty level of the code, a developer would face challenges concerning where and what changes need to be done. More time would be invested in trying to understand the code, its use, and how it works before moving further in development. Additionally, a developer might waste time re-writing the code, assuming it is faulty and inattentively written.

Documentation is another factor that influences the readability of the code. It implies adding comments to the codebase, explaining its functions and role to limit the time it takes in understanding it.

Predictability, Reliability, and Robustness

You can judge the quality of the code by its predictability and reliability. Any software developed should be predictable in its performance with no hidden bugs jumping out during reformatting or testing.

Additionally, a reliable code will run without fail every time it operates. It would be useless if it functions differently every time it runs despite inputting the same commands in the same environment. Frequent reviews and thorough testing will expel any errors, making the code more reliable and, in turn, predictable software.

Robustness of the code is its ability to function despite the errors in input and the unusual environment. Developers should write the code so that the program addresses the issues of irrelevant input, instead of simply crashing. The users would feel more comfortable if a clear message pops up requesting the correct information during the execution of the software.

For example, a program requests the first and last names of the users. Instead of entering letters, individual inputs numbers to the field. In that case, a robust program would reject the figures and a message would pop up asking the user to enter letters.

A reliable and robust codebase is self-capable of handling errors and guiding the users accordingly. To ensure the code is predictable in its function, conduct systematic vetting and several rounds of testing.

Portability and Reusability

Portable code is independent of the platform for which it was designed. Meaning, it functions efficiently in different environments, like a hybrid application. Reusability, on the other hand, depends on the modularity and loose coupling of the code. Measured by the number of interdependencies, reusability is the attribute that enables the same code to be redeveloped and reused multiple times in different situations.

It is imperative to ensure code portability and reusability to save time and effort. Instead of writing the code again, developers can reuse it for different platforms. Plus, portability offers a gateway to target a wider audience, increases software utility, and convenience for users.

Here’s an example, if the software is portable, it can operate on iPhones, Android, tablets, desktops, and other devices. It will target iOS and Android users around the globe and be available for Windows and Mac. Plus, users will have the option to choose the platform they find convenient.

To test the code reusability, developers need to make sure it is well-structured. If the interface incorporates various features, then they should be organized so that they are visible to the users. Additionally, explanatory notes for each characteristic would help the users in understanding how it works.

A surefire way to test code portability is to test it on every stage of development. Plan for multiple platform compatibility of the software in the initial stages and test out the code as you go instead of waiting till the end.

Efficiency

In the era of fast speed internet, no one likes slow downloads, buffering videos, and delayed load time of websites. A slow performing application means poor user experience that increases the probability of the users losing interest in your app. Therefore, it is vital that developers focus on maintaining the efficiency of the codebase.

The efficiency of the software is determined by its performance and speed that depends on the quality of the source code. A high-quality code lacks unnecessary or irrelevant code in its structure and doesn’t require extra resources to process a specific input.

As a developer, you can ensure the efficiency of the code by making it reusable and cutting out the redundant section. Use the correct data types, functions, loops in suitable places, and follow the specific language conventions.

Testability

Testability is the code quality that measures how well software supports testing. The number of test runs needed to discover errors and bugs determines code testability. Additionally, it depends on your capacity to control, isolate, and automate testing.

Size and complexity are two factors that influence testability. So, you need to test at the code level via methods like cyclomatic complexity to improve it.

Maintainability and Extensibility

A software can survive the competitive market only so long without an upgrade. To add new features, improve on the existing ones, fix bugs, and glitches, it is essential that the source code be readable and reusable.

Maintainability relates to the understandability and reusability of the codebase. It is the attribute that defines how convenient and simple it is to update and maintain the software without affecting other functionalities and modules.

The complexity of the code impacts its maintainability and extensibility. The simpler the code is to understand, the easier it would be for any programmer apart from the creator to redevelop, extend, and reuse the code when needed.

Developers need to follow the language rules and conventions when writing the code, proper annotations, indentations, formatting styles, and documentation. Following the rules of coding, naming conventions, methods, and variables would ensure the code is maintainable and reusable for the long-term.

Explanatory notes and comments will also improve the understandability of the code, and therefore its maintainability. Documentation is also a way for the developers to keep track of the previous errors and bugs. It will help in identifying future problems for fast maintenance.

Furthermore, if the users share their experience with using the application, a readable and clean code will ensure that you can respond to their complaints with fast maintenance processes.

How to Improve Code Quality

We discussed the parameters that determine code quality. So, here are techniques to apply to ensure a high-quality code:

• Add comments on the codebase for every method, function, and the logic applied. But also avoid unnecessary comments on obvious things.
• Apply proper annotations for data names and types of properties, classes, methods, and variables involved.
• Follow the coding and language standards, regardless of the language type.
• Automate testing as manual testing leaves room for errors.
• Simplify the software design and follow the correct pattern to lower complexity and promote readability, reusability, and extensibility.
• Writing a general code is better than a platform-specific code that can’t be reused.

Wrapping Up

A good, high-quality code ensures faster and simpler development. Regardless of the methodologies, framework or tools you use, maintaining the quality of code since the beginning helps to lower the overall effort in the development process. If you put in more effort in the initial stages, you will waste less time on fixing the issues later.

In a nutshell, the code quality sets the foundation for the success of software. Quality software will work efficiently with high performance and speed that will improve the UI and UX for the users. It will increase the profit margin for developers and lower the cost of development for the clients.

So, are you ready to develop your software? Search for top-tier development companies and join the web and app market to gain more users and a higher ROI.