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A true professional does not waste the time and money of other people by handing over software that is not reasonably free of obvious bugs; that has not undergone minimal unit testing; that does not meet the specifications and requirements; that is gold-plated with unnecessary features; or that looks like junk.
The Principle of Other People's Time and Money states.
The time to write good code is at the time you are writing it.
The Principle of Going Back states.
Never make the user feel stupid.
The Principle of User Interaction states.
Take reasonable steps to test, document, and otherwise draw attention to the assumptions made in every module and routine.
The Principle of Assumptions states.
Comment in full sentences in order to summarize and communicate intent.
The Principle of Comments states.
The most reliable document of software is the code itself. In many cases, the code is the only documentation. Therefore, strive to make your code self-documenting, and where you can't, add comments.
The Principle of Self-Documenting Code states.
Always favor the explicit over the implicit.
The Principle of Explicitness States.
Use the visual layout of your code to communicate the structure of your code to human readers.
The Principle of Layout states.
Value clarity equally with correctness. Utilize the proven techniques that will produce clarity in your code. Correctness will likely follow suit.
The Principle of Clarity States.
Strive for beauty and elegance in every aspect of your work.
The Principle of Aesthetics states.
Write your code so that it reflects, or rises above, the best parts of your personal character.
The Principle of Personal Character states.
