Best practices for programming and web development May12 '06
I’ve started a list of "best practices" for programming and web development.
The list is, by no means, complete - but it has some substance, so far.
These principles I apply in my current job. But they are, by no means, isolated only to my job. I try to practice these things for any project I am working on - personal, or work-related.
Here is the list so far:
- Proper indenting and spacing at all times. This includes HTML generated by a server-side programming language.
- If it’s not in use - get rid of it. But consider that it may need to be re-enstated.
- Comment the hell out of everything.
- Use AJAX where it saves steps, space, or organization - but don’t use it just to use it.
- Less is more: Whenever you need to create something new (a file, function, script, etc.) - ask yourself, "is there any way I can avoid creating this, and still complete the task?"
- Never have the same code appear twice - that’s twice the edits, and twice the maintenance.
- Never rush any new script out for public use. It’s always better to take extra time to make sure it works 100%, then releasing a "broken" product. The public may have to wait longer, but they’ll quickly forget that wait, if the product works smoothly from the start.
This list grows each day.
Categories: Programming 
, Web Development
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is published and produced by Matt Thommes - an independent publishing enthusiast, mobile blogger, content creator, informative writer, web developer from Chicago.
Never one to conform, Matt intends to promote the effect the web has on our lives, in an effort to intensify, instruct, and clarify all that is happening around us.
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