9 Essential Software Development Best Practices 2024

Software is an integral part of everyone’s life and it gets used for both personal and professional tasks. But, if any complexity occurs in it, overall business operations can get impacted. And as a developer/programmer or a part of the development team, you must make sure that application will function seamlessly.

And to assure it, you must prefer following the software development best practices. They will help you achieve your objectives, and build amazing software with best-in-class performance and solid security. Further, it will also help you enhance your skillset and grow as a professional.

So, let’s start with understanding the top software development best practices.

What Are Best Practices and Their Needs?

Best practices are approaches, suggestions, and tips defined by industry experts for upcoming and currently working developers. The primary purpose of defining best practices is to make programmers efficient in writing clear, up-to-the-mark, and secure code, fulfilling project goals.

In addition, best practices also aid in improving own coding skillset and support in enhancing collaboration.

Furthermore, best practices also get considered for:

Upskilling developers to write a clean and easy-to-understand program.
Increasing efficiency and workflow.
Organizing the overall work promptly.
Reducing the additional costs due to misconfigurations and errors.
Improving the quality of final output.

Top Best Practices That Every Developer Must Know and Follow

To curate high-performing, scalable, and secure software along with maintaining seamless collaboration, every developer must consider the following best practices.

Align Code Review With Development

Code review is an essential part of every software development project, helping to find, correct, and streamline the structure. Whenever you write a program for a specific function, integration, or any other purpose, always review it before moving further. It will help you discover the errors and remove them before the testing phase.

In addition, you can also use a bug tracker application to dynamically analyze the code and provide an error/bug report. Whether you develop a new application or an update for a previous one, always review the code and fix things before staging and production.

Additionally, you must connect bug-tracking tools, such as Git with your code management software for better bug assessment.

As a result, your code will effortlessly embed with other software components and more stable and secure software will get released.

Select The Relevant Technology, Framework, and Programming Language

Before you start writing code or even selecting the Software Development Kit (SDK), you must figure out the right technology. Choosing the development technology includes, selecting a framework, SDLC approach, database, programming language, server OS, cloud provider, and more. You must focus on all such aspects before development.

By focusing on it, you can eliminate incompatibility issues and fulfill all client requirements impeccably. Moreover, always keep in mind the type of application you are going to develop. For instance, if you need to build a mobile application, then Android is a good choice. But, if you need to curate a cross-platform mobile app, then .NET is also a good choice.

Therefore, always analyze requirements and choose technology accordingly for expected results. And, it will save you time and effort afterward by not creating fuzz during the integration procedure.

Don’t Create Backdoors and Logic Bombs

Creating backdoors in software is a big no for every developer. Whether you are curating a mobile app, web-based software, a website, desktop software, or any other, backdoors must be not on your list. Developing them can work as an open invitation for attackers to infiltrate the network and breach user data.

And if you think creating a backdoor for pushing updates, then it’s also a bad idea. If an attacker gains access to the backdoor, then your software can be a victim of RAT, viruses, worms, and even worse.

Furthermore, you should also avoid developing logic bombs. If a hacker somehow modifies the code, logic bombs can work as an automatic trigger button for transferring user data to the attacker’s system. Moreover, such bombs are hard to detect and can have a long-term negative impact on your reputation, user trust, and revenue.

Prepare Multiple Unit Test Cases

Testing an application at a developer’s end is a crucial part of software development. It helps to discover functionality errors and bugs and correct them before the testing phase. You must create unit test cases in accordance with project objectives, as it will help you define the code you need to write.

For instance, if you have the requirement of showing a message to the user after inputting the wrong login credentials. Then, you must create a test case for it and build a program accordingly. As a result, you will have a clear insight into the functions and methods to define.

Further, you can use tools, such as Junit, Jtest, and EMMA for performing unit tests.

As a result, you can assure:

Accurate functioning of the code block
Syntax correctness
Bug fixes and patches

Thoroughly Understand Requirements

The purpose of developing software is to fulfill the requirements and patch the gaps between business operations. And as a developer, you must thoroughly understand the requisites and work according to them.

Once you start gaining clarity about the client’s needs, you will automatically select the right technology, and define constraints, timeline, cost, and project objectives.

Additionally, you must generate an SRS (Software Requirement Specification) document to help with:

Generating the framework to follow by the entire development team.
Arranging relevant collaboration tools between different teams.
Assuring accurate software designing and workflows.
Building a strong foundation and software architecture to get the expected final output.

Additionally, it will help you understand the needs of specific stakeholders, leading to developing a comforting, easy-to-use, secure, and high-performance software.

Write Clean and Readable Code

Writing clean and readable code must be one of the top priorities of every programmer. You must follow the syntax, provide relevant space between wiring different functions and use appropriate annotations.

If you are working alone, then it depends upon you how you write, as you would be the only one reading and updating the software. However, if you work in a team, then you must decide on the naming convention before the development starts.

In addition, you should instruct every developer to write comments about functionality and use of specific code blocks. But, make sure to not include any confidential information in the comments.

As an outcome, if another developer will try to modify your code, comments will help to understand it. And it will also help a tester and software architect to independently perform their operations, leading to saving time.

Consider YAGNI, DRY, and SOLID While Code Writing

While writing code, consider YAGNI (You are not gonna need it) and DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself) concepts. Both define that you must not include additional code blocks, which are not related to the current objectives, as they can create vulnerabilities.

Moreover, it’s always better to not repeat things multiple times, as it would put unnecessary pressure on the compiler and processor.

Moreover, additional code gets considered a primary contributor to slowing down the software and increasing resource costs. Hence, you must always avoid writing additional programs for yourself.

Furthermore, you should prefer the SOLID concept, as it helps with:

Writing only necessary, simple, and required programs
Preventing adding code based on open/closed principles
Creating non-dependent objects
Providing interfaces to users according to their classification
Aligning software with Dependency Inversion Principle

Prefer DevSecOps Approach

DevSecOps is a new-age development approach, that you must prefer while working in a team. It will integrate the operations and security from the very first SDLC phase., leading to the development of a highly secure application in minimal time.

Furthermore, it will leverage with CI/CD pipeline, enabling to creation, review, testing, and deploying code at the same time. In addition, it will also benefit with:

Better collaboration between operations, development, and quality assurance team
Removal of bugs, errors, and vulnerabilities before a cybercriminal identifies them
Completion of tasks within time and with the utmost quality
Optimal use of resources and efforts, contributing to saving overall cost

Always Use a Software Publisher Certificate

After writing the code, integration, and testing, one of the most important tasks is to digitally sign the software using a Software Publisher Certificate. It aids in converting the source code into an unreadable format to prevent it from attackers and unauthorized modification.

In addition, it also tells the users and operating systems that your application is legit and it will not harm the system.

Whenever you build software, always use a Code Signing Certificate. And it would be better to always use a certificate of a reputed CA, such as a Comodo Code Signing Certificate.

Furthermore, it doesn’t matter, whether you are working independently or in an organization, always sign your code. And you must select the appropriate validation level for relevant security, such as:

Select Individual Code Signing Certificate, if you are a freelancer or independent developer
Select OV Code Signing Certificate, if you are an organization
Select EV Code Signing Certificate, if you are an enterprise with additional security needs and operational existence of a minimum of three years

Always remember to use Code Signing Certificate for better software security, business reputation, and user conversion.

Concluding Up

In conclusion, every developer must understand the implement best practices in their daily work. It helps to enhance professional skills, leading to building a software with strong foundation and security.

The development teams heavily benefit through such practices, as they optimize collaboration, improve resource usage, and provide a crystal clear insight into customer needs.

However, it can a complex task to implement all mentioned practices at once. Therefore, you can start by implementing one or two, such as using Code Signing Certificate, writing clean code, and selecting the appropriate technology. And as you move further, you can apply all other practices too.

Must Know Software Development Best Practices For Every Developer

What Are Best Practices and Their Needs?