Most businesses accept that code quality is a vital root cause of most of their issues in the current business environment. The ever-developing complexity of the environment in the IT domain, outsourcing, and the introduction of Agile increase the issue regarding code quality.
When we consider business applications, they are pretty complicated. There are systems comprising millions of code lines, signifying that applications developed with several complex, object-oriented programming languages. Some of them are SOA-enabled or dynamic scripting or database languages. It becomes challenging for developers to innovate their thinking abilities regarding testing the quality of their applications adequately.
Modern business applications are very complex for any single person to understand. Even if software developers know two or three different programming languages and how they interact with each other, they can’t have a complete mental model of how their software interacts with various other technologies. To understand the working procedure, they make assumptions that are challenging to verify, and even a minute error can lead to glitches and crashes.
In addition, recent findings on massive software systems negate the old model that a defect can be easily traced to a single source. For most of the faults that lead to failure, 60% require changes to two or more files (lowest level system elements), while 30% include more than two or three files.
What Is Quality in Application Development?
The word ‘quality’ has many meanings. In the IT sector, this term describes how an end-user evaluates a software product and depends on multiple criteria, such as general satisfaction, functionality, and willingness to pay.
However, when considering software or application development, the definition is viewed entirely differently. For the application’s quality, meeting functional requirements is essential, and it should be ensured that the source code fits precisely into the software architecture at the booth and system levels. For instance, imagine an old-fashioned wristwatch that runs on gears. Such a device requires every individual cog to be precise at the unit level and needs to perfectly match with other cogs within the clock for proper functioning.
Application development quality signifies how a system, component, or process meets specific requirements or expectations. Program quality assurance is a moving goal for software programmers.
Importance of Quality in Software
Anything that does not fulfill a customer’s requirement can be considered a defect in the software development field. Usually, the development team cannot wholly understand what customers look for in such cases, which leads to design errors. Other factors, such as incorrect functional logic, incorrect, and poor data processing, can also result in errors.
However, coders can use an error management approach to trace such faults, wherein error categories are defined according to their severity. Experts count the total number of errors and take actions as per the set severity. Sometimes, they develop control charts to measure the development process capability.
What Does Code Quality Mean?
Code quality comprises different attributes and requirements. Some of the primary measures used to determine code quality include:-
Clarity: A code must be easy to read as it becomes easier to maintain, change, or extend it when the code is understandable. After all, a code is not only meant for computers to understand but also for people.
Maintainability: A high-quality code should not be too complicated, and people working with it must understand the full context of the code if they want to make any changes.
Documentation: The code should be self-explanatory, and one should add comments to explain the code’s role and capabilities. This makes it much easier for anyone who wasn’t involved in writing the code to understand and maintain.
Refactored: Code formatting must be consistent and follow the language’s coding conventions.
Test: A quality code is the one that has the least number of errors. Thorough testing helps remove critical bugs and ensures that software works as intended.
Extensibility: A code needs to be extensible to have edits or modifications whenever required.
Efficiency: A quality code doesn’t require unnecessary resources to perform the desired action.
Key Features of a Non-Qualitative Code
- It lacks proper documentation.
- The code is not concrete enough.
- Unnecessary use of loop and jump statements.
- Code is written without adhering to any coding standard or style.
- Untested and unstructured code.
Key Features of a Qualitative Code
- A code must be easy to understand.
- Data and operations fit together in classes.
- The code itself explains what is being performed.
- Requirements for comments must be minimal.
- Code should be passed through proper testing.
- A qualitative code contains comments.
- Testing serves as an executable specification of the code.
Wrapping Up
Albeit invisible to the naked eye, code quality can provide a massive return on investment, especially for businesses going through rapid transformation processes. So hire competent IT solutions providers like Atlas Systems who can help you write eloquent success stories for future generations. Reach us today to get reliable IT services.
