11 ms·

Writing Maintainable JavaScript

68 points by rmurphey3 15y ago

autalpha 15y ago
I refuse to install Silverlight :P
- rmurphey3 15y ago
  It's just a video tag for me in Chrome.
- ChiperSoft 15y ago
  Shows up as an HTML5 video element for me in Safari.
  - emehrkay 15y ago
    Forced me to install silverlight; safari windows (work machine so I dont care)
    - autalpha 15y ago
      FF4 on OSX here and I can't view the slideshow without installing Silverlight. Didn't know I would offend people with my stance on Microsoft's Silverlight. I am peeved at Microsoft's stance on Flash or other open solutions. And don't get me started on their "web standards" implementations.
- PetrolMan 15y ago
  You should have to work with it...
  - autalpha 15y ago
    "Doh! Your browser doesn't seem to support Silverlight or HTML5 video or we don't have an HTML5 video for this one." that's what I get when I clicked play. I'm using FF4 on Mac OSX.
- hasenj 15y ago
  Works in Chrome without Silverlight, but not in Firefox.
wccrawford 15y ago
These apply to all languages, not just Javascript. It's pretty basic techniques for keeping your code nice: Decouple/Blackbox Naming Conventions Start using these techniques now, refactor old code over time
mberning 15y ago
Write as little code as possible. The easiest code to maintain is the code you never had to write.
- cema 15y ago
  Partially true. Short code may be too cryptic to be easily maintained.
  - IgorPartola 15y ago
    Write neat code. Not clever, not verbose. Neat. Also, write code which calls only really well documented functions. Doing jQuery("#my-input").val() is clear enough. Doing myCrazyFramework.dom.manuplators.find.get_value('my-input') is more obscure, even though it's more verbose. Write code that's been written before. Don't use clever patterns you found on code snippet sharing websites (http://code.activestate.com/recipes/66531-singleton-we-dont-need-no-stinkin-singleton-the-bo/ http://code.activestate.com/recipes/66531-singleton-we-dont-... for example). Keep using the same pattern over and over. Write small chunks of code: a function over 50 lines is probably really hard to read. This is a rule of thumb, not a commandment, but I found it to be true in at least > 51% of cases. Avoid code magic. E.g.: deleteUsers(username) should not check for whether username has the substring "test" in it to see if the user should really be deleted. Avoid state at all cost. Avoid timing dependence. Pretend like anything in your application can happen any time any place. Handle all exceptions. I'm probably wrong on at least 50% of the above, and am probably missing 10 time as much...
    - jamesbritt 15y ago
      Write small chunks of code: a function over 50 lines is probably really hard to read. This is a rule of thumb, not a commandment, but I found it to be true in at least > 51% of cases. Peter Seibel, in Practical Common Lisp, has a footnote about this: "A friend of mine was once interviewing an engineer for a programming job and asked him a typical interview question: how do you know when a function or method is too big? Well, said the candidate, I don't like any method to be bigger than my head. You mean you can't keep all the details in your head? No, I mean I put my head up against my monitor, and the code shouldn't be bigger than my head." http://www.gigamonkeys.com/book/practical-a-simple-database.html http://www.gigamonkeys.com/book/practical-a-simple-database....
ChiperSoft 15y ago
My god, he is so hungover in this video...
- clocktower 15y ago
  Not hungover; just _really_ tired. I want to have a talk with whomever scheduled me for a 9am slot. Also, the light was in my eyes whenever I tried to look out toward the audience. AND OTHER EXCUSES, TOO
euroclydon 15y ago
Straight up question: How do you build source code documentation? I use jsDoc (closure compiler's version, with data annotations). Because of this, I can't wrap all my code in a closure, which seems so popular these days. jsDoc won't parse through the closure. So, I use namespaces, and keep all my code in the global scope. It works great.
diamondhead 15y ago
see the irony
kragen 15y ago
Is there a non-video version of this?
Todd 15y ago
Thanks for posting. I meant to go to this session but it was too early.

68 points by rmurphey3 15y ago

autalpha 15y ago

I refuse to install Silverlight :P

rmurphey3 15y ago
It's just a video tag for me in Chrome.
ChiperSoft 15y ago
Shows up as an HTML5 video element for me in Safari.
- emehrkay 15y ago
  Forced me to install silverlight; safari windows (work machine so I dont care)
  - autalpha 15y ago
    FF4 on OSX here and I can't view the slideshow without installing Silverlight. Didn't know I would offend people with my stance on Microsoft's Silverlight. I am peeved at Microsoft's stance on Flash or other open solutions. And don't get me started on their "web standards" implementations.
PetrolMan 15y ago
You should have to work with it...
- autalpha 15y ago
  "Doh! Your browser doesn't seem to support Silverlight or HTML5 video or we don't have an HTML5 video for this one." that's what I get when I clicked play. I'm using FF4 on Mac OSX.
hasenj 15y ago
Works in Chrome without Silverlight, but not in Firefox.

wccrawford 15y ago

These apply to all languages, not just Javascript. It's pretty basic techniques for keeping your code nice: Decouple/Blackbox Naming Conventions Start using these techniques now, refactor old code over time

mberning 15y ago

Write as little code as possible. The easiest code to maintain is the code you never had to write.

cema 15y ago
Partially true. Short code may be too cryptic to be easily maintained.
- IgorPartola 15y ago
  Write neat code. Not clever, not verbose. Neat. Also, write code which calls only really well documented functions. Doing jQuery("#my-input").val() is clear enough. Doing myCrazyFramework.dom.manuplators.find.get_value('my-input') is more obscure, even though it's more verbose. Write code that's been written before. Don't use clever patterns you found on code snippet sharing websites (http://code.activestate.com/recipes/66531-singleton-we-dont-need-no-stinkin-singleton-the-bo/ http://code.activestate.com/recipes/66531-singleton-we-dont-... for example). Keep using the same pattern over and over. Write small chunks of code: a function over 50 lines is probably really hard to read. This is a rule of thumb, not a commandment, but I found it to be true in at least > 51% of cases. Avoid code magic. E.g.: deleteUsers(username) should not check for whether username has the substring "test" in it to see if the user should really be deleted. Avoid state at all cost. Avoid timing dependence. Pretend like anything in your application can happen any time any place. Handle all exceptions. I'm probably wrong on at least 50% of the above, and am probably missing 10 time as much...
  - jamesbritt 15y ago
    Write small chunks of code: a function over 50 lines is probably really hard to read. This is a rule of thumb, not a commandment, but I found it to be true in at least > 51% of cases. Peter Seibel, in Practical Common Lisp, has a footnote about this: "A friend of mine was once interviewing an engineer for a programming job and asked him a typical interview question: how do you know when a function or method is too big? Well, said the candidate, I don't like any method to be bigger than my head. You mean you can't keep all the details in your head? No, I mean I put my head up against my monitor, and the code shouldn't be bigger than my head." http://www.gigamonkeys.com/book/practical-a-simple-database.html http://www.gigamonkeys.com/book/practical-a-simple-database....

ChiperSoft 15y ago

My god, he is so hungover in this video...

clocktower 15y ago
Not hungover; just _really_ tired. I want to have a talk with whomever scheduled me for a 9am slot. Also, the light was in my eyes whenever I tried to look out toward the audience. AND OTHER EXCUSES, TOO

euroclydon 15y ago

Straight up question: How do you build source code documentation? I use jsDoc (closure compiler's version, with data annotations). Because of this, I can't wrap all my code in a closure, which seems so popular these days. jsDoc won't parse through the closure. So, I use namespaces, and keep all my code in the global scope. It works great.

diamondhead 15y ago

see the irony

kragen 15y ago

Is there a non-video version of this?

Todd 15y ago

Thanks for posting. I meant to go to this session but it was too early.