Software Development Best Practices Handbook

# Software Development Best Practices Handbook ## Table of Contents - [Software Development Best Practices Handbook](#software-development-best-practices-handbook) - [Table of Contents](#table-of-contents) - [Introduction](#introduction) - [Monorepos](#monorepos) - [Trunk-Based Development](#trunk-based-development) - [Code Reviews and Collaboration](#code-reviews-and-collaboration) - [Operating Systems (OS)](#operating-systems-os) - [Testing](#testing) - [Documentation](#documentation) - [Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)](#software-development-life-cycle-sdlc) - [Best Practices for SDLC](#best-practices-for-sdlc) - [GitHub Enterprise](#github-enterprise) - [Best Practices for GitHub Enterprise](#best-practices-for-github-enterprise) - [Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD)](#continuous-integration-and-continuous-deployment-cicd) - [Best Practices for CI/CD](#best-practices-for-cicd) - [Code Reviews](#code-reviews) - [Best Practices for Code Reviews](#best-practices-for-code-reviews) - [DevOps Culture](#devops-culture) - [Best Practices for DevOps Culture](#best-practices-for-devops-culture) ## Introduction Welcome. This handbook details how we think about, and approach, software development. This guide will walk you through the best practices of software development, including the use of monorepos, trunk-based development, the selection of an operating system, testing, documentation, the software development life cycle, and the use of GitHub Enterprise. ## Monorepos Monorepos are a type of repository that holds all of your codebase in one place. They offer immense benefits in terms of code sharing, refactoring, and managing dependencies. A robust build system, enforcing code hygiene, and optimizing for the monorepo are some best practices for monorepos. ## Trunk-Based Development Trunk-based development is a source-control branching model where developers work on a single branch called 'main'. It reduces large-scale merge conflicts and enhances collaboration. Developers can check out a branch from main, code the changes into it, create a pull request to merge it back to main when development is complete and delete the branch upon a successful merge. Frequent commits, implementing feature toggles, and automating testing are some best practices for trunk-based development. ## Code Reviews and Collaboration Encourage thorough code reviews and collaboration when working with branches. Since branches involve merging code, it's essential to establish clear communication channels and practices for proposing and discussing changes. Ensure that team members are aware of any modifications made to main branch to avoid conflicts and keep everyone on the same page. ## Operating Systems (OS) The preferred choice of the operating system is Ubuntu Linux or MacOS, but ultimately can be anything based on the developers needs and comfort. Avoid OS-specific code or dependencies that can cause conflicts when other team members are using different operating systems. ## Testing Testing should not come at the expense of productivity. Prioritize testing based on the criticality of the software component and avoid redundant tests. Use automated testing tools to maintain productivity. ## Documentation Documentation is essential for understanding the intent of the code, how it works, and how to use it. Document as you go, keep it simple and clear, and ensure that it is kept up-to-date. ## Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) The Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is a process that defines the steps or phases involved in the development of software. It provides a structured approach to building software applications. ### Best Practices for SDLC 1. **Requirements Analysis:** Clearly understand and define the requirements before starting the development process. 2. **Design:** Plan and design the software solution based on the requirements. 3. **Implementation:** Implement the software design by writing code. 4. **Testing:** Test the software to ensure that it meets the requirements and is free of bugs. 5. **Deployment:** Deploy the software in the production environment. 6. **Maintenance:** Maintain and update the software as needed. ## GitHub Enterprise GitHub Enterprise is a self-hosted version of GitHub that you can deploy in your own network. It provides collaborative source control management and offers features such as code review, project management, and integrations with other tools. ### Best Practices for GitHub Enterprise 1. **Branch Protection:** Protect the main branch to prevent direct commits. Require pull requests for changes and ensure that tests pass before merging. 2. **Code Reviews:** Use GitHub's code review features to maintain code quality. Encourage team members to review each other's code. 3. **Integrations:** Use GitHub's actions to automate testing and deployment. 5. **Security Features:** Use GitHub's security features to protect your code. Enable two-factor authentication and use GitHub's advanced security features such as Dependabot alerts and secret scanning. You have written an excellent base for the software development handbook. Here are a few sections I would suggest adding: ## Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) CI/CD is a development practice where developers integrate code into a shared repository frequently, usually several times a day. This practice helps in detecting problems early. After integration, the changes in the repository are built, and tests are run. This should be completed using Github actions. ### Best Practices for CI/CD 1. Automate the Build: The build should be automated in such a way that any changes to a repository can get a recent build. 2. Make Your Build Self-Testing: Once the code is built, all tests should run to check if it behaves as expected. 3. Everyone Commits To the Mainline Frequently: By committing regularly, you can avoid the integration hell that usually happens when people wait for release day to merge their changes into the release branch. 4. Every Commit Should Build the Mainline on an Integration Machine: Use a dedicated integration machine that can check out updates to the mainline and build the system for testing. 5. Keep the Build Fast: The build needs to complete rapidly, so that if there is a problem with integration, it is identified quickly. 6. Test in a Clone of the Production Environment: The testing environment should match the production environment as closely as possible to avoid the "it worked on my machine" problem. 7. Make it Easy for Anyone to Get the Latest Executable: Everyone involved in the project should be able to see what running software looks like. 8. Automate Deployment: Most applications need to be deployed into more than one environment (e.g., test, staging, production). Deployment steps should be automated to avoid manual error. ## Code Reviews Code reviews are a critical practice for maintaining code quality, catching bugs early, and facilitating knowledge sharing among the team. ### Best Practices for Code Reviews 1. Review Smaller Changes: Small, incremental changes are easier to review than large changes. 2. Use a Checklist: A checklist helps to ensure that the same standards are applied to all code reviews. 3. Don't Review for More Than An Hour at a Time: After an hour, the effectiveness of a code review tends to diminish. Take a break and come back to it later. 4. Use a Linter: Using a linter can catch common coding errors and frees up human reviewers to focus on more complex issues. 5. Focus on Improving the Code: The goal of code reviews should be to improve the quality of the codebase. Avoid nitpicking and focus on substantial issues. ## DevOps Culture DevOps is a set of practices that combines software development (Dev) and IT operations (Ops). It aims to shorten the systems development life cycle and provide continuous delivery with high software quality. ### Best Practices for DevOps Culture 1. Collaboration: DevOps is not just about tools, but people. Encourage collaboration between development and operations teams. 2. Automation: Automate manual tasks where possible. This reduces errors and frees up time for more complex tasks. 3. Continuous Learning and Improvement: Encourage a culture of learning from failures and constantly improving processes. 4. Measurement and Monitoring: Implement monitoring and logging solutions to provide visibility into application performance and infrastructure. 5. Security: Incorporate security practices into the DevOps workflow, often referred to as DevSecOps. This includes practices such as code analysis, automated security testing, and more. Remember, these are guidelines, not rules. The goal is to improve the software development process, not to adhere strictly to a set of practices.