Source Code Readability, Clean Code, and Best Practices: A Case Study

International Journal of Computer Science and Engineering

© 2022 by SSRG - IJCSE Journal

Volume 9 Issue 4

Year of Publication : 2022

Authors : Lucas de Lima Silva, Giovani Fonseca Ravagnani Disperati, Antonio Angelo de Souza Tartaglia

10.14445/23488387/IJCSE-V9I4P102

How to Cite?

Lucas de Lima Silva, Giovani Fonseca Ravagnani Disperati, Antonio Angelo de Souza Tartaglia, "Source Code Readability, Clean Code, and Best Practices: A Case Study," SSRG International Journal of Computer Science and Engineering , vol. 9,  no. 4, pp. 7-13, 2022. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/23488387/IJCSE-V9I4P102

Abstract:

Maintenance of a software product during its operating lifecycle is usually the most expensive part of a project, as this phase extends indefinitely. A software project that originally met a certain set of requirements will invariably change over time since the requirements themselves tend to change. Thus, one of the main challenges of Software Engineering, particularly considering the coding activity, is establishing practices that allow greater readability of source codes to keep codebases under control. Clean code, source code refactoring, automated testing, and the application of best practices - such as design patterns - are considered starting points for this. In this article, we sought to carry out a case study based on the code kata known as Gilded Rose. A questionnaire was applied to compare programmers' understanding of a code without best coding practices to understanding a refactored code using best practices. We conclude that student or intern-level programmers most beneficiated from such practices as a more readable code imposes less of a barrier to their understanding of the code itself and the functional requirements implemented by such code.

Keywords:

Clean Code, Code implementation, Design Patterns, Software Engineering.

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