As a software developer, writing clean, maintainable, and efficient code is crucial for building robust and scalable applications. To achieve this, it’s essential to follow established software principles that provide guidelines for structuring and organizing code. In this article, we will explore a collection of widely used software principles that every developer should be familiar with. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced programmer, these principles can help you write high-quality code that is easier to understand, maintain, and extend.
I created this GitHub repository with some examples of each principle in Python code. At the same time here are some easy explanations for each of those below:
Single Responsibility Principle (SRP): Each part of the code should have only one job to do, just like you have one toy to play with at a time.
Open/Closed Principle (OCP): We can add new features to our code without changing the old parts, just like we can add toppings to our pizza without changing the crust.
Liskov Substitution Principle (LSP): We can use a new toy that looks like the old one, and it will work the same way, just like using a toy car or a toy truck on the same track.
Interface Segregation Principle (ISP): Each toy should have only the buttons and parts that we need, and not extra ones, just like a toy phone should have buttons to call and hang up, but not unnecessary buttons for other functions.
Dependency Inversion Principle (DIP): We should talk to our friends through a walkie-talkie, so we can use different walkie-talkies or even phones, as long as they work with the same frequency, just like our code should communicate with other parts through interfaces, so we can easily replace or upgrade those parts.
Don’t Repeat Yourself (DRY): We should not say the same things over and over again, but just once, just like we should not write the same code in different places, but reuse it in one place.
Keep It Simple, Stupid (KISS): We should not make things more complicated than they need to be, just like we should not use big words or difficult instructions when explaining something.
You Ain’t Gonna Need It (YAGNI): We should not worry about things that we don’t really need right now, just like we should not pack extra toys for a short trip, but only take what we really want to play with.
In summary, understanding and applying the fundamentals of software can improve code quality and make your software more manageable, scalable, and efficient. You can improve your software development and design better by following these widely used principles.
Whether you’re a newbie to software development or an experienced programmer looking to improve your skills, a simple understanding of this software principles is valuable.
Happy coding!
Top comments (1)
Thank you for sharing your foundational knowledge on these principles!