Principles of Good Code Writing
A beginner-friendly guide for researchers to write clean, reproducible code.
Welcome!
This guide is for anyone writing code - even if you have zero formal programming training.
No prior experience required.
Simple, practical tips that apply to any language (Python, R, MATLAB, etc.).
Why This Guide Exists 💭
Good code is like a well-organized lab notebook:
- Easier for you to understand later.
- Easier for others to reproduce your work.
- Ready for journals and funding agencies requiring open and reproducible research.
Table of Contents 📖
- Introduction
- What Makes Code Good?
- Naming Things Well
- Writing Readable Code
- Commenting and Documenting
- Breaking Code Into Chunks
- Core Coding Principles (DRY, KISS, YAGNI)
- Avoiding Common Mistakes
- Write Code Like a Lab Notebook
- Reproducibility in Practice
- Magic Numbers & Checks
- Reading Error Messages
- Cheat Sheet
- Emergency Fixes
How to Use This Guide
- Start with Introduction if you’re new to coding.
- Jump to any principle for quick tips and examples.
- Download the Cheat Sheet for a one-page summary.
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