Which programming principles do you know, and which ones do you try to follow most often?

Programming Principles

Programming is not just about writing code, but also the art of building logical, maintainable, and efficient solutions. Developers use various programming principles to create high-quality software. Let's explore some important principles and those most frequently applied in practice.

1. Principle KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid)

This principle states that code should be as simple as possible. Simplicity makes it easier to understand, maintain, and develop a project. The less unnecessary complexity, the easier it is to work with the code.

2. Principle DRY (Don’t Repeat Yourself)

Repeating code makes maintenance harder and increases the likelihood of errors. The DRY principle advises avoiding duplication by extracting repeated code into separate functions, modules, or classes.

3. Principle YAGNI (You Ain’t Gonna Need It)

This principle recommends not adding functionality that is not needed at the moment. Excessive code increases complexity and may never be used.

4. Principle SOLID

This is a set of five object-oriented programming principles:

• Single Responsibility Principle

• Open/Closed Principle

• Liskov Substitution Principle

• Interface Segregation Principle

• Dependency Inversion Principle

These principles help design flexible and scalable systems.

5. Principle LEAN (Minimization of Waste)

This approach comes from manufacturing but is applicable to software development. It aims to eliminate unnecessary actions, improve the development process, and optimize code.

6. Principle Testing (TDD — Test-Driven Development)

First, we write tests, then the code that passes these tests. This helps develop reliable software and reduces the number of bugs.

Which principles do I follow most often?

In my practice, I mostly adhere to KISS, DRY, and YAGNI. Keeping the code simple makes it easier to understand and maintain, eliminating duplication reduces the likelihood of errors, and avoiding unnecessary functionality makes the project more manageable. Additionally, when working with object-oriented code, I strive to follow SOLID principles.

Every developer chooses principles that best fit their work style and tasks. The key is to follow rules that make the code high-quality and maintainable.