Preethi Cheguri

Programming is all about being resourceful and figuring out efficient ways to create valuable software. The foundations of programming are the same whether you’re making software applications, web apps, or mobile apps. Understanding good practices and bad practices is crucial when learning to code. You may improve the basis of your programming by knowing some common coding and programming mistakes to avoid.

Here are the top 10 most common coding and programming mistakes to avoid in 2023:
Not properly commenting code: The best way to remember what a piece of code does is to read the comments. The lack of proper use of comments by too many beginners’ results in messy, difficult-to-read code. It’s challenging to understand your code on your own and from the perspective of others if you don’t include comments.

Lack of consistency in style: Your code will be simpler to read and comprehend if it is formatted consistently. It makes no difference if you place the brackets on the same line or if you use camel case or underlining to identify your variables. Just be sure to maintain consistency. If you fail to do this, your code will appear very sloppy and be difficult to maintain.

Not handling errors and exceptions: Ignoring errors and exceptions might result in erratic behaviour and possible security flaws. Don’t commit the error of only reading the code when you encounter a coding error that you are unsure of how to fix. Employ the debugger.

Using an overly-complicated language: Don’t feel compelled to write in a language you find intimidating just because many others do it, and don’t code a custom engine in particular. There are countless simple languages that are excellent for beginners. Additionally, learning any other language is relatively simple after you have mastered one.

Creating functions that are too big: Avoid writing functions that have a large number of inputs or that only carry out a single, highly particular purpose. Make your function into several smaller, easier-to-read and-maintain ones.

Not practicing the code: Reading about coding in theory and putting it into practise are two very different things. Programming best practises always stresses the importance of practising actual code. It’s simple to read a few lines of code or watch a few videos for learning, then tell your brain that you understand everything. However, once you start creating the code, you’ll discover that you’re making a lot of major and dumb errors.
Not maintaining the backup: Nobody in development is going to pay attention to your claim that you lost a certain amount of work because your system or a portion of it crashed. You have no defence in this situation, so every programmer or newcomer should develop the practise of regularly making backups of their work.

Not doing proper research before coding: Many newcomers forego the project’s thinking, research, and planning phases in their excitement and jump immediately into creating code. They do not comprehend the requirements or constraints of the challenge, nor do they consider all possible outcomes. You might later regret it because it could lead to a major problem.

Switching to different programming languages: If you find it difficult to learn a new programming language, don’t switch to another one. Although speaking several languages is a beneficial thing, it is advised that you start off by concentrating on only one. Once you are experienced you won’t face difficulty in switching to another language. If you do this mistake then after a couple of years you will realize you aren’t master in any single language.

Repeating the code: Code repetition is a simple trap to fall into, and it frequently requires some review to see how much code is duplicated. A decent rule of thumb is to modify the code if you find yourself repeatedly copying and pasting it.

These are the top 10 most common coding and programming mistakes to avoid in 2023.