Best Practices for Developers
Learn industry-standard techniques to build efficient, secure, and user-friendly applications.
Why Follow Best Practices?
Following best practices ensures your code stays maintainable, performant, and secure while providing the best possible experience for users.
- Improved readability and maintainability
- Enhanced security for your applications
- Optimized performance across devices
- Accessible to users with disabilities
Writing Clean Code
Readable Naming
Use descriptive names for variables, functions, and components that clearly indicate their purpose.
// Bad
let tmp = 10;
// Good
let userCount = 10;
Consistent Formatting
Follow a style guide and use tools like Prettier or ESLint to maintain consistency across your codebase.
function formatName(user) {
return `${user.firstName} ${user.lastName}`;
}
Performance Optimization
Lazy Loading
Load resources only when needed using techniques like React's useLazyQuery or loading="lazy" in images.
Caching
Implement caching strategies for static assets and API responses to reduce server load.
Minification
Use tools like Webpack or Vite to minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML files before deployment.
Accessibility Best Practices
Semantic HTML
Use appropriate HTML elements for their intended purposes to ensure screen readers and other assistive technologies can interpret your content correctly.
Keyboard Navigation
Ensure all interactive elements are accessible using only the keyboard.
// Make modals keyboard focusable
document.querySelector('.Modal').addEventListener('keydown', (e) => {
if (e.key === 'Escape') closeModal();
});
Security Best Practices
Input Validation
Always validate and sanitize user input to prevent XSS and injection attacks.
function sanitizeInput(input) {
return DOMPurify.sanitize(input, {USE_PROFILES: {html: true}});
}
Secure APIs
Use HTTPS and implement rate limiting, authentication, and authorization checks for all API endpoints.
// Express middleware
app.use(cors({ origin: 'https://trusted-origin.com' }));
app.use(express.json({ limit: '10kb' }));
Putting it All Together
By combining clean code practices, performance optimization, accessibility, and security, you create software that is robust, maintainable, and user-friendly.
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