How do you keep code consistent across programming languages?

1 Use a style guide

A style guide is a document that defines the rules and best practices for formatting, naming, commenting, and structuring your code. It can cover aspects such as indentation, spacing, brackets, parentheses, quotes, semicolons, variables, functions, classes, modules, imports, comments, and documentation. A style guide can be specific to a programming language, such as PEP 8 for Python, or a framework, such as Angular Style Guide for Angular. You can also create your own style guide or adopt an existing one that suits your needs and preferences. A style guide helps you to write code that is consistent, clear, and easy to follow.

2 Use a code formatter

A code formatter is a tool that automatically applies the rules and conventions of a style guide to your code. It can save you time and effort by formatting your code for you, ensuring that it follows a consistent style across different files and languages. Some code formatters can also detect and fix common errors, such as syntax, spelling, or indentation mistakes. Some examples of code formatters are Prettier, Black, ESLint, and Beautify. You can use a code formatter as a standalone tool or integrate it with your code editor or IDE.

4 Use a code review process

A code review process is a practice of having other developers review your code before merging it to the main branch or deploying it to production. It can help you to catch and fix errors, bugs, or vulnerabilities that you might have missed, as well as to ensure that your code meets the requirements and expectations of the project. It can also help you to learn from other developers' feedback, suggestions, and best practices, and to share your knowledge and expertise with them. A code review process can be formal or informal, depending on the size and complexity of the project and the team. You can use tools such as GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, or CodeGuru to facilitate and automate your code review process.

5 Use a code documentation system

A code documentation system is a way of creating and maintaining documentation for your code, such as comments, annotations, docstrings, or external files. It can help you to explain the purpose, functionality, and usage of your code, as well as to document the dependencies, parameters, inputs, outputs, and exceptions of your code. It can also help other developers to understand, reuse, and modify your code, as well as to generate automated documentation for your code. Some examples of code documentation systems are Sphinx, Doxygen, Javadoc, and JsDoc. You can use a code documentation system as a standalone tool or integrate it with your code editor or IDE.

6 Use a code testing framework

A code testing framework is a tool that helps you to write, run, and manage tests for your code, such as unit tests, integration tests, or end-to-end tests. It can help you to verify the functionality, performance, and reliability of your code, as well as to detect and prevent bugs, errors, or regressions. It can also help you to measure the coverage, quality, and maintainability of your code, as well as to automate your testing process. Some examples of code testing frameworks are PyTest, Jest, Mocha, and Selenium. You can use a code testing framework as a standalone tool or integrate it with your code editor or IDE.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?