How can you test for readable and well-documented code?

1 Use code style guides

Code style guides are sets of rules and best practices that define how to format, structure, and write your code. They help you create consistent, clear, and concise code that follows common conventions and standards. You can use existing code style guides for your programming language, such as PEP 8 for Python or Google Java Style Guide, or create your own custom ones. You can also use tools like linters, formatters, and editors to check and enforce your code style automatically.

2 Write self-documenting code

Self-documenting code is code that expresses its purpose and logic clearly and directly, without relying on external comments or documentation. It uses meaningful names, simple functions, and descriptive constants to make the code easy to read and understand. You can write self-documenting code by following some principles, such as using nouns for variables, verbs for functions, and adjectives for modifiers, avoiding magic numbers and hard-coded values, and breaking down complex code into smaller and simpler units.

3 Add comments and docstrings

Comments and docstrings are annotations that explain the purpose, functionality, and usage of your code. They supplement your self-documenting code by providing additional information that is not obvious or explicit from the code itself. You can add comments and docstrings to clarify your assumptions, decisions, algorithms, parameters, return values, and exceptions. You can also use tools like Doxygen, Sphinx, or Javadoc to generate documentation from your comments and docstrings automatically.

4 Use code review tools

Code review tools are software applications that help you analyze, inspect, and improve your code quality and documentation. They can help you detect and fix errors, bugs, vulnerabilities, and code smells, as well as measure and enforce code standards, metrics, and compliance. You can use code review tools to perform static analysis, dynamic analysis, or peer review of your code. Some examples of code review tools are SonarQube, CodeClimate, Codacy, and PullRequest.