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Home Category: CodeQuality (Page 2)

C# String: Definition, Examples, Best Practices, and Pitfalls

Carlos Schults8 Comments

It’s time for yet another discussion on an important C# construct: the C# string.

String bears many similarities with other C# types. Like the C# array and list, you can think of the string as a collection or sequence of items, since string implements IEnumerable—and a number of other interfaces.

Like enum values, strings are often used as label cases in switch statements (even though in this case, strings are probably not the best option.)

Like DateTime, the string is an essential concept in programming, implemented as an immutable data type, and often misunderstood. Such misunderstandings can confuse the developers on your team, cause defects, and slow down development.

Would you want that?

Yeah, didn’t think so.

Want to know if you’re getting it right as you learn C#?

Download a free trial of CodeIt.Right and get an instant, automated code review.

 

So, that’s what today post is about: educating developers about the C# string in the hope that such education can lead to better code.

  • We’ll start by giving you a quick definition of the C# string.
  • Then we’ll jump right in to examples of how to use the string type.
  • And, along the way, we’ll look at best practices and warn you of possible pitfalls.

Let’s get started!

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codeitright + visual basic drawing

Using CodeIt.Right to Create Visual Basic Coding Standards

Carlos SchultsNo Comments

Here on the SubMain blog, I’ve already covered how to use CodeIt.Right to Create C# Coding Standards. Today Visual Basic gets the same treatment. In case you haven’t read the previous post (or any post in this blog at all), I’ll briefly explain what these posts are about.

CodeIt.Right is an automated code review tool.  It checks the source code of your application against a set of rules (which can be the standard rules or custom ones), giving you instant feedback on its quality.

Similarly to the previous post, I’ll explain how you can create a Visual Basic coding standard by using CodeIt.Right. If your team doesn’t already know and use coding standards, then that’s a great opportunity for all of you to learn about all of the benefits you’re missing out on.  I’ll begin by arguing that you need a coding standard. The SubMain blog has already covered that subject,  but I’ll quickly revisit it.

Then I’ll go on to explain the usual problems teams face when trying to implement coding standards and code reviews in a totally manual way.

Lastly, I’ll explain how automation can solve those problems and how can you do so with the help of CodeIt.Right.

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C# Dictionary: Definition, Examples, Best Practices, and Pitfalls

Rick Beley5 Comments

So far we’ve had the opportunity to take a deep C# dive on arrays, lists, and the very valuable enum. Today we are going to stay in the System.Collections.Generic namespace and learn about a structure that’s designed for lookups—the C# dictionary.

In this post, we’ll take a look at what the dictionary is, exactly.  Form there, we’ll cover everything you need to know about it, including how to use it and what its methods are.  And, throughout describing these things, we’ll use examples, highlight best practices, and caution you about pitfalls along the way.

Want to know if you’re getting it right as you learn C#?

Download a free trial of CodeIt.Right and get an instant, automated code review.

(more…)

Sherlock with magnifying glass

Code Inspections? Get Over Yourself.

Melissa McEwen9 Comments

When I last looked for software engineering jobs, I came across a post that looked perfectly normal until I got to a line that said, “Participate in daily code inspections.” What the heck was a code inspection? It sounded pretty serious. And we’d be doing it every single day?

A quick Google search brought me to a Wikipedia page for “software inspection,” which told me that “code inspection” was pioneered in the 70s at IBM. My grandfather’s cousin happened to work there at the time, so I asked him to weigh in. He said they were a “formalized effort by team members to go over each other’s code.”

But things have changed a lot since the 70s. And often, vintage terminology is a sign of other outdated development practices. (more…)

C# Enum: Definition, Examples, Best Practices, and Pitfalls

Justin Boyer4 Comments

We’ve discussed arrays and lists in C#. This time, we’ll take the same journey with a funky little type called the enum. The C# enum is a very useful construct, but it has some quirky behavior that can bite you if you’re not careful.

Let’s now see what makes enums tick, how to use them effectively, and what to be careful of when using them.

Want to know if you’re getting it right as you learn C#?

Download a free trial of CodeIt.Right and get an instant, automated code review.

(more…)

C# List: Definition, Examples, Best Practices, and Pitfalls

Carlos Schults2 Comments

Not that long ago, we published a post about the fundamentals of the C# array. Today’s post will continue the trend, covering the C# list.

Don’t worry.  If you’re a beginner, you’ll also benefit from this post. Instead of brushing up, you’ll get your first contact with this incredibly useful data structure.

As in the array post, we’ll discuss what a list is. We’ll learn how to use it, what its most common operations are, and how to avoid some common pitfalls. With that in mind, you’re ready to see what the C# list has to offer you.

Want to know if you’re getting it right as you learn C#?

Download a free trial of CodeIt.Right and get an instant, automated code review.

(more…)

C# Array

C# Array: Definition, Examples, Best Practices, and Pitfalls

Justin Boyer2 Comments

So you’ve started your journey into C# development. Learning any new language or framework can be a challenging road. However, you need not despair. Allow those who have gone before you to lead the way and guide you on your journey. Today’s leg of the journey is the C# array.

In this post, we’ll discuss what an array is. We’ll see how to use one in our code, and we’ll discuss how best to use it and what pitfalls can hurt your code quality.

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StyleCop: A Detailed Guide to Starting and Using It

Peter Morlion22 Comments

Content updated: 4/23/2019.

Put two developers together and they’re bound to have a discussion about coding style. No two developers write code in the exact same way.

More often than not, one isn’t better than the other and it’s just a matter of taste. In a team or in a single project, it’s more important to be consistent than it is to choose the right style.

Agreeing on a style can be hard enough, but enforcing it shouldn’t be something you do manually. It will be tedious and error-prone.

StyleCop Under Microscope

StyleCop is a tool that can automate this. Let’s have a look at how to set it up and what it brings to the table.  This post will walk you through the following:

  • What Stylecop is.
  • How to install and run it.
  • Configuration.
  • Integration into your build.
  • Defining rule excpetions
  • Analyzing all projects
  • Using the command line

So, read on if you want to learn everything there is to know about Stylecop.

Want to know if you’re getting it right as you learn C#?

Download a free trial of CodeIt.Right and get an instant, automated code review.

 

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Saw blades as gears

Sharpen the Saw: 4 Quick Tips for Your Dev Team

Carlos SchultsNo Comments

Are you familiar with the expression “sharpen the saw” in the context of learning and continuous improvement? If you’ve read Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, then I’m sure you are. For those unfamiliar with the term, it basically means to engage in practices that will make you better at your craft without necessarily involving the craft itself.

What can you as a tech lead, lead developer, or software architect do to encourage the developers on your team to sharpen their saws? That’s what we’ll to answer with this post. We’ll show you four quick, easy ways your team can improve their skills and deliver more value.

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Functional Programming in C#: Map, Filter, and Reduce Your Way to Clean Code

Carlos Schults7 Comments

It’s possible that the post title above left you scratching your head. “Functional programming in C#. Is that even a thing?” Well, it’s definitely a thing. Allow me to clarify.

Most people would classify C# as an object-oriented language, but it’s possible that you, as a .NET/C# developer, have been using functional programming concepts without even knowing it.

C# Lambda logos illustrating C# Functional Programming

Make no mistake.  Using functional-programming-inspired features is not the same as programming in a pure functional language, like Haskell. Or even a hybrid language but with stronger emphasis on the functional side, like F#.

However, employing functional programming concepts can improve the quality of your code.  And that’s what today’s post is about.

  • I’ll just first briefly cover the attractions of functional programming and why it makes sense to apply it even when using a so-called object-oriented language. 
  • Then I’ll show you how you’ve already been using some functional style in your C# code, even if you’re not aware of it.
  • I’ll tell you how you can apply functional thinking to your code in order to make it cleaner, safer, and more expressive.
Want to know if you’re getting it right as you learn C#?

Download a free trial of CodeIt.Right and get an instant, automated code review.

(more…)

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