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August 22, 2023 In Code, Process, Productivity

Twisty Branches All Alike

Software Developer Productivity Killer #7: Poor Branching Strategy

Ahoy once more, digital navigators! As our digital expedition continues, we stumble upon the thorny forests of source code management. Amidst the sprawling thicket lies a menacing snare: the poor branching strategy. Oh, how we shudder at the reminiscence of entire days (or, heavens forbid, weeks) lost to merges! The terrain might seem deceptively simple, but as Bob would soon find out, it’s fraught with pitfalls.

😕 Bob’s Branching Blunder

Just as Bob started his morning coffee ritual, he encountered a code review that resembled an epic tome more than a neat summary. Long-lived branches? Multiple changes per branch? Bob’s hopeful morning soon transformed into a caffeine-fueled merge marathon. The ghostly whispers of “merge week” from the dark age of CSV/Subversion haunted his every move.

🌳 The Branching Brouhaha

  1. Epic Merges: Not the cool kind of epic, but the “Where did my day go?” kind. Lengthy branches become burdensome, confusing, and oh-so-error-prone. Nobody is building new code when they are stuck in merge conflict purgatory.
  2. Feature Flags Flop: Poor branching can throw a wrench in your feature flagging game, making it a Herculean task to incrementally release portions of functionality to subsets of your users.
  3. Collision Course: Picture a horde of developers, their code changes clashing like opposing armies. Result? Conflicts galore and a stream of regressions. Somebody is going to end up in the doghouse.
  4. Whimsical Reviews: Branches crammed with countless changes are like thick novels. They’re arduous to review, test, and release. Something will be missed in the noise. Not to mention, they are a nightmare if you need a rollback.

🔦 Lighting the Path with Strategic Branching

  1. Feature First: Feature branches keep things neat and tidy. Each new capability gets its pristine branch, free from muddling modifications. And keep it one feature per branch, please!
  2. Release the Kraken: Release branches serve as staging areas, ensuring that the main branch remains in a perpetually deployable state.
  3. GitHub Flow & Glow: Simplify the process, making it robust yet flexible. Ideal for continuous delivery and integration.
  4. Trunk-Based Triumph: Our golden boy! Implement Trunk-Based Development: Small, frequent merges to the main branch mean fewer conflicts and quicker deployments. CI/CD? More like See-It-Done!
  5. GitFlow, but with Gusto: While intricate, it provides a clear structure for large scale projects, each branch with a defined purpose. Especially for those projects that need to maintain multiple major versions concurrently.

💡 Conclusion

For Bob, adopting a robust branching strategy was like discovering a map in a maze. The days of daunting merge marathons are long gone, replaced by streamlined processes and efficient workflows.

Ready to Navigate the Branching Wilderness? Feeling lost in the dense forest of code branches? Facet Digital is equipped with a compass, map, and the expertise to guide you through. From assessing the thickest tangles to plotting a clear path forward, we’re here to help. Why risk the quagmire when you can journey with the best? Contact us and let’s strategize your branching success story together.

✋ Hungry for more of Bob’s coding conundrums? He’s already braved challenges like the ‘open-plan disturbances’, navigating the ‘technical debt’, sidestepped the ‘dead code’, and rebuffed the ever-multiplying ‘status reports’. And remember that foggy realm of unclear requirements? Yep, he navigated that too. Stay tuned, for the code chronicles are far from over. Each chapter brimming with tales of tech, turmoil, and triumph!

August 17, 2023 In Code, Productivity, Tech Debt

Dead Code: The Zombie in Your Codebase

Software Developer Productivity Killer #4: Dead Code

Greetings, dear readers! Just when you thought the digital waters were safe after navigating through ‘useless meetings‘, ‘open-plan offices‘, and the vast ocean of ‘technical debt‘, here comes another phantom to haunt your code: Dead Code.

Dead code is akin to a zombie in a movie. It’s there, but not truly alive. It doesn’t contribute, yet it can cause a myriad of problems if left unattended. And just like you wouldn’t want a horde of zombies in your backyard, you wouldn’t want dead code cluttering your codebase.

🧟‍♂️ The Un-Life of Dead Code

  1. The Silent Specter: Dead code silently resides in your software. It’s not executing any tasks, not being called upon, but it’s still THERE. It’s like keeping a broken bicycle in your garage, taking up space, collecting dust, and being an overall eyesore.
  2. The Maintenance Nightmare: As your live code evolves and changes, guess what? You might find yourself unintentionally maintaining and updating your dead code. After all, it’s hard to differentiate a zombie from a living being until it tries to bite you!
  3. The Debugging Disaster: Imagine hunting for a bug and sifting through lines of code, only to realize you’ve been chasing shadows in the dead sections of the code. Frustrating, right?

✝️ Why Should We Perform a Dead Code Exorcism?

  1. Clarity and Efficiency: A clean codebase is a joy to work with. It’s easier to read, understand, and modify. Developers spend less time sifting through the ‘zombie horde’ and more time innovating.
  2. Reduced Risk: Old, dead code can be a breeding ground for vulnerabilities. If you’re not actively using or maintaining it, you might overlook potential security risks.
  3. Better Resource Management: Time spent maintaining dead code is time stolen from adding new features or addressing other vital areas of your software.

🔥 Vanquishing The Zombie Horde

  1. Regular Codebase Audits: Make it a habit to regularly review your codebase. Tools and software, properly integrated into your engineering systems, can help identify unused code sections, making the hunt easier.
  2. Embrace the ‘Delete’ Key: If a piece of code no longer serves a purpose and has no foreseeable use, bid it adieu. It’s liberating. Don’t block comment it out just in case. You have source control for that, right?
  3. Documentation is Key: Ensure that your code is well-documented. When another developer jumps in, they should be able to differentiate the living from the undead.
  4. Foster a Clean Code Culture: Cultivate an environment where clean coding practices are championed. A stitch in time saves nine, and a deleted line of dead code can save hours!

💡 In Conclusion

Dead code might seem harmless, but it can drag down productivity and bloat your software project. Be vigilant, be proactive, and remember: the only good zombie code is the one that’s been vanquished!

And if you find yourself amidst a codebase zombie apocalypse, don’t hesitate to call in the experts (oh yes, that’s us). Why wrestle with the undead when a skilled zombie hunter is just a click away? 🧟‍♂️ 🏹 💀

✋ Need to catch up on the other apparitions threatening developer productivity? Check out our previous explorations into ‘useless meetings’, the ‘open-plan office’, and the lurking ‘technical debt’. Stay tuned as we continue our crusade against the forces of coding inefficiency.