Getting Started
Before getting started
First friendly reminder on usefulness of version control and documentation within the workflow. If reader isn't familiar with them and feels inclined to try them out, no worries, they can be implemented midway through with low effort.
Version Control: What It Is and Why You Need It
- Version control is the practice of tracking and managing changes in files and software projects.
- Tracking changes lets you revert to earlier working states if new bugs or issues appear during development.
- Branching and merging allow developers to work independently without interfering with each other.
- Team members can develop features, test ideas, or prototype solutions in isolated branches.
- When the work is stable, it can be merged cleanly into the main branch.
- Even for individuals, branching avoids creating multiple copies of project folders and manually tracking them.
More in version control guide.
Code Documentation and Why It Matters
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Inline comments explain specific parts of the code.
- Structure: Writing code with clear structure and meaningful comments makes it easier to navigate and debug.
- Reasoning: Documenting non-obvious design choices prevents repeating old mistakes and helps future contributors understand why something was done in a certain way.
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Project / User documentation outside the codebase acts as a guide and reference for users and developers much like table of content.
- Building on top: Clear documentation makes it easy to understand what already exists, so new features do not reinvent previous work.
- Collaboration: New collaborators can become productive quickly while maintaining consistency across the project.
- User adoption: People are more likely to use and contribute to systems that are understandable and well explained.
More in documentation guide .