Best practices are a set of guidelines, ethics, or ideas that represent the most effective or safest method of achieving a business function. It is a method or technique that has been broadly accepted as superior to others in its category due to the fact that it has a tendency to produce superior results.
Best Practices in Software Engineering
Best practices in software engineering are established guidelines and principles that help teams create high-quality, maintainable, and effective software products with fewer errors and rework. They offer a template for organizing workflows, improving collaboration, and delivering reliable software that meets user and business needs.
The importance of best practices in software engineering is in their ability to improve code quality, reduce bugs, improve security, and save time and costs over the project lifecycle. I’ve created a list of best practices every software engineer should adhere to, and by following these practices, teams can create adaptable and scalable software that remains relevant amid changing technologies and requirements.
1. DRY principle
The DRY principle — "Don't Repeat Yourself" — is simply not being redundant in your code. Instead of duplicating logic in multiple places throughout your codebase, you want to write reusable components: functions, classes, or modules that can be reused wherever they are needed.
By avoiding duplication, you reduce technical debt and the risk of inconsistencies or bugs when you must make modifications. When an item of logic needs changing, you only have to modify it in one place — and the improvement is reflected wherever it's used. The outcome is cleaner and more organized code that's easier to read, test, and debug.
DRY can be achieved through abstraction — identifying repeated patterns and turning them into reusable building blocks. When applied consistently, it speeds up development, promotes consistency, and makes it easier for teams to collaborate, since the codebase becomes more organized and predictable.
2. KISS principle
This stands for “Keep It Simple, Stupid” and it emphasizes simplicity in design and code, avoiding over-engineering, and focusing on clear, maintainable, and efficient solutions. In software engineering, it’s easy to overthink a solution — adding multiple layers of logic, edge case handling, and abstractions that aren’t immediately needed. While it might feel like you’re future-proofing your code, most times you’re just making it harder to understand, test, and maintain.
Keeping things simple means solving the problem at hand with the most straightforward, readable solution possible. It doesn’t mean ignoring edge cases or scalability, but rather handling those when the need actually arises, not preemptively.
Simple code is easier to debug, onboard into, and extend. Stick to what’s necessary — and nothing more.
3. YAGNI principle
YAGNI stands for “You Aren’t Gonna Need It,” and it’s a principle that encourages engineers to focus only on what’s necessary — not what might be needed in the future. It opposes the temptation to overbuild features or add extra layers of functionality “just in case.”
In practice, this means resisting the urge to anticipate every possible use case or future requirement. Even though it’s good to plan ahead, building for hypothetical scenarios could lead to bloated, complex codebases filled with unused logic and features. This not only wastes time but also increases the chances of introducing bugs and confusion.
By following the YAGNI principle, developers stay focused on implementing actual, verified requirements — functionality that is needed now, not later. It encourages shipping lean, working software sooner and iterating based on actual user feedback rather than speculation. It also allows for better maintainability and makes the code easier to refactor or scale when real needs are clear.
4. Testing
Testing is a non-negotiable part of software development. It makes sure your code does what it’s supposed to do — not just in best-case scenarios, but under real-world conditions too.
Good tests basically act like a safety net. They catch bugs early, prevent regressions, and give you peace of mind when refactoring or adding new features. Without tests, even small changes can be unpredictable and risky.
There are different types of testing — unit tests for individual functions, integration tests for how parts of the system work together, and end-to-end tests that simulate actual user interactions. While not every line of code needs a test, the goal is to cover the parts that are critical to functionality and prone to change.
Testing your code not only improves your software — it also allows better collaboration. If tests exist, new developers can confidently make changes without worrying they're breaking something that already works.
5. Design before Coding
Jumping straight into code might feel productive, but without a clear plan, you’re simply setting yourself up for rework and confusion down the line. “Design before coding” simply means thinking through your solution before you start typing.
But this doesn’t always mean drawing detailed UML diagrams or writing pages of documentation. It can be as simple as sketching out a flow, defining data models, or breaking a problem into smaller parts. The goal is to clarify what you’re building and how the pieces fit together — before you start implementing.
Whether you’re building a feature, designing an API, or structuring a system, taking time to plan before you build leads to better outcomes — for both your code and your team.
6. Code Reviews
Code reviews are more than just a quality check —they’re a collaborative process that helps teams grow, catch issues early, and maintain a consistent codebase.
A good review isn’t just about pointing out bugs or nitpicking syntax. It’s about understanding the intent behind the code, offering constructive feedback, and suggesting improvements that make the code cleaner, more efficient, or easier to understand. It’s also an opportunity to learn from each other — whether it's discovering a new pattern, a better naming convention, or a smarter approach.
Code review avoids bottlenecks, reduces technical debt, and makes sure the code is consistent with team standards. It also spreads knowledge across the team — when multiple people understand how a feature works, no one person becomes a single point of failure.
Conclusion
Following best practices is not just about writing cleaner code; it’s about building a more efficient, collaborative, and future-ready development process. By incorporating these principles into your workflow, you’ll create software that’s not only high-quality but also easier to maintain, scale, and adapt as your projects grow.
Adopting these best practices today will not only save you time but also set you up for long-term success, making sure you stay ahead in the tech industry.
Top comments (4)
Well done!!!
Thank you!!
Como estudiante de una Licenciatura en Ingeniería en Software, estoy aprendiendo lo importante que es aplicar principios como DRY y KISS desde el comienzo de un proyecto. A veces uno se enfoca solo en que el código funcione, pero se olvida de mantenerlo limpio y entendible.
Me gustó especialmente la parte donde mencionas las revisiones de código, ya que creo que recibir retroalimentación de otros ayuda muchísimo a mejorar.
¡Gracias por compartir estas buenas prácticas!
Informative share, friend!
Thanks for sharing.