How to Deal with Inherited Code
As experienced programmers we would have undertaken several web development projects. It might be on any domain –WordPress, PHP Development or even mobile app development. Most times clients approach and hire developers for new projects. Developers and coders would have to sit with the client and discuss about the exact requirements and then proceed with the development. However, sometimes clients may also hire programmers to carry on with a prior project – be it for improvement or expansion. It could also be that the client may have been at odds with previous developers and wanted to reach out to a new developer. In such a scenario, programmers are handed a completed project – perfect or not perfect – and asked to continue with development for the aforementioned reasons. Having been used to executing web development projects from scratch, this sure might prove to be a serious nightmare for programmers. This is because of the fact that each coder has a unique style of coding and will most certainly differ from yours. One wrong deviation and the entire website could become buggy, to say the least.
We at HireIndianProgrammers, consist of teams of dedicated programmers and developers. Having gained significant experience from handling an array of web development services for more than a decade, we seek to give you insights on how to deal with inherited code from a prior project, through this blogpost.
Documentation is key
While being handed over a website or any mobile app project, programmers would do well to request for the documentation for the same. A programming expert would more than make do with just documentation.
Patience is a virtue
It is true and trust us, it will reward you hugely in the near future. There are no shortcuts. Clients hiring new developers would surely expect better results than earlier. So, programmers will have to commit time and efforts in going through the entire documentation, understand the code – including structures, naming conventions, CMS, syntax and so on, add/ modify your own documentation. This stage of reading (not glancing) and understanding is crucial as it will help you in understanding the website (or mobile app), thereby allowing you to accurately carry out updates. Programmers can also familiarise themselves with all the webpages in the website.
Look out for anomalies and fix them
The very task of going through the documentation will enable coders to spot anomalies such as unused Javascript libraries, complex API etc; Clients hiring fresh programmers will, in all probability, give the entire story of the software development cycle including the possible issues with earlier versions or developers. Also, whenever programmers are fixing unknown functionalities, it is simply a good practice to add comments on it. This would greatly aid the next developer.
Adapt and be consistent
While tackling inherited code, the main objective of programmers must be to deliver a readable project having longevity. The best way to accomplish this is for programmers to adapt themselves to the system and tweak their coding habits a bit. Adding your own methods will only complicate matters for the next web development team.
Dig deeper into the system
Clients hiring dedicated programmers trust that their new website would perform better than earlier on a sustainable basis. To deliver optimal results, programmers would have to dig deeper and get their hands on more relevant data such as the kind of devices end users are using. These kind of data will help developers anticipate possible failure scenarios in testing stage of software development.Coders can make use of any speed test and design responsiveness tools to check for performance issues.
Finally, apart from these, there are always other challenges associated with inherited code. It might be tighter deadlines or scope creep. Whatever it may be, programmers would do well to focus on the work at hand, make room for improvement, display a positive attitude rather than indulging in a futile blame game.
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Top 5 Useful UX and UI Tools
Web programmers around the world have the mandate of not only providing error-free software but also address usability issues much before in the software development cycle. In fact, they are so common that these can be very often resolved in the design phase itself with the help of several tools.
In this blogpost, our dedicated programmers at HireIndianProgrammers having extensive knowledge of multiple software platforms, will delve into the different front-end tools to reduce usability concerns – providing for a breezy experience.
Mason
With Mason, programmers spread across different geographic locations can collaborate and work on a website’s front end. There are not much expenses related to the addition or modification of any feature that is usually associated in this part of the development cycle.
What makes Mason a hit among programmers is the fact that it takes care of the hard coding stuff and programmers can directly focus on the larger issues of deploying robust software. By using Mason, you can seek to bring your entire product team together, push updates in seconds and includes, among other things, features like, user registration, SSO, two-factor-authentication and so on.
Interfacer
Interfacer is a quality front end tool available for programmers to makes the best use of – especially with regard to its extensive library resources. This library is not only highly comprehensive but also a fun resource for programmers to experiment with.
Now what does this library contain? It is a collection of everything ranging from fonts, icons to UI Designs and templates for websites. All of this is free for programmers to work with.
Webflow
Webflow is a one-stop solution for all your website development needs including but not limited to website design, CMS, hosting etc; Even if you are a beginner in programmer, fret not, for Webflow is designed for both experienced programmers and beginners alike.
You can design whole layouts for every website or app from scratch with ease, therefore, Webflow is creative hotspot for programmers to unleash their full potential.
UXPin
UXPin is built on the premise of iterative wireframing and prototyping. A powerful cloud based prototyping tool, UXPin promises programmers to allow them to design, prototype and collaborate.Programmers can start designing from the pre-coded modules.
The best thing about UXPin is the provision of sharing designs across stakeholders including clients and other programmers on the team in any form like wire frames. This means that feedback becomes central to the design process ultimately reducing costly time resource.
With that we come to the end of this post and would like to reiterate to programmers and online business people the importance of UX. UX is one of those small things that impresses visitors to your site. A good UX will impress visitors to the extent that they go on to bookmark your website for future browsing – thereby increasing brand loyalty and word of mouth.
After all, a smooth online purchase experience is what all customers yearn for, isn’t it?
Start designing your website with a renewed emphasis on UX by hiring our programmers. Get in touch with our team here.