Compilers and warnings lights are there for help. Don't ignore them.

Problems

• Missed Errors

• Ripple Effect

• Fail Fast

Solutions

1. Enable all warnings

2. Enable preconditions and assertions in production.

3. Fail fast

4. Design by contract

Sample Code

Wrong

array = [];
console.log(array['1'])
//undefined but keep going on

hiddenGlobal = "I am a global"

console.log(hiddenGlobal)
//  I'm a global

Right

array = [];
console.log(array['1'])
//Index Error

noGlobal = "I am not a global"

console.log(noGlobal)
// ReferenceError

var noGlobal = "I am not a global"

console.log(noGlobal)
// I am not a global

Detection

Most languages have warning levels. We should turn most of them ON.

We should run linters to statically analyze our code for potential problems.

# Tags

• Fail Fast

Conclusion

If we ignore warnings and code moves on sooner or later it will fail.

If the software fails later it will be very difficult for us to find root cause.

Defect will likely be near first warning and far away from the crash.

If we follow the Broken Windows Theory, we should not tolerate any warnings, so a new issue will not pass unnoticed on a sea of tolerated warnings.

Relations

Code Smell 19 — Optional Arguments

Maxi Contieri ・ Nov 7 '20

#codenewbie #oop #tutorial

Code Smell 12 - Null

Maxi Contieri ・ Oct 31 '20

#codenewbie #tutorial #oop

More info

Fail Fast

Maxi Contieri ・ Dec 6 '20

#codenewbie #programming #webdev #oop

• Use strict in javascript

Credits

Photo by Noah Dominic Silvio on Unsplash

One man's crappy software is another man's full time job.

Jessica Gaston

Software Engineering Great Quotes

Maxi Contieri ・ Dec 28 '20

#codenewbie #programming #quotes #software

This article is part of the CodeSmell Series.

How to Find the Stinky parts of your Code

Maxi Contieri ・ May 21 '21

#codenewbie #tutorial #codequality #beginners