To continue delivering client value, software development teams should adhere to recognized best practices to remain trustworthy counterparts and active contributors. Improved cooperation and faster velocity are challenging, but the path to more immediate delivery is achievable when the following five characteristics are incorporated into a team's process.
In the article “Collaborative coding: Best Practices for Working with Teams” we’ll learn about how to collaborate with the community and work on the same projects and contribute to open source.
What exactly is code collaboration?
The process of numerous people working on the same codebase is referred to as code collaboration. This usually entails sharing code modifications and assessing each other's work to improve the code's quality and stability. This contrasts with letting each developer work on their own.
Code collaboration tools are software products that allow developers to collaborate on a software project by offering version control, code review, communication, and project management capabilities and functionality.
These tools are intended to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of software development teams by allowing team members to collaborate and coordinate their efforts.
Communicate freely
Communication with team members and senior management is critical to breaking down information walls between development and operations teams. The foundation of collaborative software development is trust and transparency.
Team members with varying backgrounds and degrees of experience should be encouraged to actively participate in ideas, provide suggestions for workflows, and provide project feedback.
Diversity of thinking leads to more great solutions because an organization benefits from a more well-rounded viewpoint when team members from various backgrounds share their thoughts and insights.
Teams can utilize the following approaches to foster an open communication culture and develop everyone's communication skills:
1. Asynchronous communication
Firstly, let us know about asynchronous communication. So, asynchronous communication alerts y team members to contribute to talks across time zones and return to discussions after they've had time to ponder and explore possibilities. It is beneficial even if your team members work in the same office, but it is exceptionally crucial for hybrid and remote teams.
Asynchronous communication also assists team members in prioritizing their responsibilities and managing their time in the most effective way for them and their workflow. Because team members will not be pulled away from feature development to attend a synchronous meeting or miss out on an essential topic if they have a dispute, asynchronous communication is a cornerstone of open communication.
2. Challenging Assumptions
One of the most severe risks to collaborative software development is groupthink, in which team members agree to a consensus, limiting their originality and uniqueness. Team members encouraged to have difficult talks, challenge decisions, and present alternative viewpoints are more likely to identify problems earlier in the lifecycle, allowing for course correction.
In addition, asking questions allows team members to learn from more experienced contributors and broaden their knowledge. Challenge assumptions to ensure that all options are evaluated before committing to a solution. Team members can collaborate to research ideas and determine that a proposal is the best way forward.
3. Retrospectives
Sharing grievances with team members can be awkward, but setting aside time to reflect on problems is a simple approach to committing to open communication. Following the completion of a project or release, it is critical to conduct a retrospective to discuss what went well, not wrong, and what might be improved.
The purpose of retrospectives is to discover how to enhance service and resolve problems as soon as possible. Retrospectives are crucial to open communication because they allow team members to express themselves in a secure setting designed to encourage criticism and discussion.
Team members should be enabled to utilize emotive language (e.g., "I was frustrated when..." or "I am glad that...") to indicate intensity and raise concerns early to avoid festering aggravations. Each retrospective should have a defined agenda to set expectations for conversations and end with a clear action plan.
Choose the Appropriate Tools
When software development teams have the necessary tools to enable them to focus on innovation rather than maintaining integrations and manually executing tedious chores, they perform better.
DevOps tooling should unite teams throughout the software development process and lifecycle, allowing developers, QA, security specialists, product managers, designers, and team leads to interact and gain visibility into projects and progress. Using the correct tools assists teams in overcoming obstacles, maintaining version control, and increasing productivity.
Tools that can assist teams in increasing velocity should include:
1. Automation
Integrating automation into the workflow reduces the possibility of human error and time spent on menial chores that divert developer attention away from delivering business and customer value. When developers are required to execute manual tasks, they have less time to devote to feature development.
Automation also completes activities that might otherwise be overlooked during the rush of a release, such as balancing user load and scheduling security testing.
2. Security
Security is a crucial shared responsibility that every contributor to the development lifecycle should know. Still, it remains one of the most significant bottlenecks in software releases.
Finding bugs and correcting vulnerabilities might be difficult when problems are discovered at the end of the development lifecycle. Developers must review code they may not have touched in months, attempting to reacquaint themselves with previous code and address problems before a release.
According to security experts, developers do not identify vulnerabilities early enough in the development process; thus, choosing a tool that includes thorough security testing can help speed up releases and ship higher quality and more safe code. Static application security testing (SAST), dynamic application security testing (DAST), dependency and container scanning, and license compliance should all be part of a holistic security solution.
3. CI/CD Integration
Continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) enable software teams to provide better products to consumers more quickly. With integrated CI/CD, teams may spot mistakes earlier in the development lifecycle, safeguarding the source code from destructive code and preventing issues from being released to users. Less manual work, fewer integration issues, and more releasable code result from integrated CI/CD.
A solid project management tool will assist teams in planning releases, increasing visibility, keeping complex projects on track, and identifying stakeholders. Kanban boards, problems, and epics are a few examples of project management capabilities. Taking the effort to properly scope projects allows a team to grasp requirements before developing. Team members can work together to reduce the scope of projects so that they can be developed iteratively.
Create detailed documentation
As teams grow and applications become more complicated, it becomes increasingly important to clearly outline processes, highlight decisions, and promote feedback to deliver software properly. A team can encourage team members to seek information and adhere to corporate regulations by committing to documenting everything from workflows and tools to communication strategies and branching tactics.
Writing down decisions, processes, and proposals increases visibility and aids in preserving dialogues for future reflection, permitting team members to refer back to the material at a specific time. Documentation also aids developers in learning because it will enable them to retrieve and comprehend information ranging from the reasons behind a solution's success to development best practices.
Documentation might be intimidating by default, but beginning with the following strategies can help teams create effective practices:
1. The only source of truth
The key to documentation is making it available to all contributors and incorporating all interactions into a single source of truth so that only a few complete copies of information are floating around. Trying to keep many artifacts with varied permissions for different roles is unsustainable, and teams risk spreading old methods. Developers can work together and have access to a single source of truth to make sure that the document is updated and accurately according to the standards and reflects the state of a project or process.
2. Wikis
Keeping project documents on a wiki is a practical method. Team members can avoid meeting with other contributors to come up to speed by using the wiki to learn about the background and best practices. Wikis are an effective tool for information sharing and helping each team member find the information required to contribute to a project. The inability of developers to work together and share knowledge because of a lack of information will no longer exist.
Give Immediate Feedback
A thriving DevOps culture relies on offering and receiving feedback to foster continuous improvement and collaboration. Helping each other find areas for development or success is a practical approach to assisting others in understanding the significance of their efforts. Feedback improves team collaboration by starting a conversation and helping others in learning.
When offering feedback to team members, it is critical to focus on the job and its influence on business value, customer experience, or team collaboration. One-on-one feedback is the preferred technique for exchanging thoughts and ideas, and it is especially effective for having difficult conversations or providing constructive feedback. There are several additional methods for providing quick feedback to team members.
1. Code audits
Effective software team communication should include regular code reviews to enable ongoing improvement and prevent unstable code from shipping to clients. Every team member should have their code examined, regardless of expertise or background, and everyone should be able to provide ideas. Developers should clearly state which modifications are required, non-mandatory, or alternate solutions while finishing a code review. A team member provides comments and insight into simplifying code while solving an issue by articulating the reasoning behind each suggestion.
2. Programming in pairs
Because teammates can learn from one other and partner in a mutually beneficial exercise, developers coding in tandem fosters excellent team communication. Pair programming is effective when team members attempt to solve complicated problems that are too difficult for any developer to handle. Senior developers can teach junior developers new techniques, while more experienced team members can expand their knowledge by training others. Team members can provide quick input on solutions and alternative approaches.
Top collaborative coding applications
Pair programming can be exceedingly difficult without the correct tools, especially when working remotely. There are a few popular options for collaborating on the same piece of code:
1. Microsoft Visual Studio Live Share
Microsoft created Visual Studio for developers and Microsoft Visual Studio Live Share, a solution that enables developers to work together in real-time on code inside the Visual Studio Code editor. It allows developers to collaborate on code editing and debugging by sharing their local working environment. Regardless of the development platform or device, it enables developers to collaborate on code.
Developers may efficiently work together in real-time with the help of various tools that Visual Studio Live Share offers, including peer-to-peer collaboration, live editing, and debugging. It is freely accessible.
2. CodePen
Developers may write and share code samples, demos, and complete web applications using the online code editor and development environment known as CodePen. It supports HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and is used primarily for web development. Developers may create on CodePen, share their work with others, and work together in real-time on projects.
Developers can create "pens" on CodePen, which are standalone pieces of code, demonstrations, or complete web projects that can be modified, shared, and embedded on other websites. Both free and commercial versions of it are accessible.
3. Codeanywhere
A cloud-based integrated development environment (IDE) called Codeanywhere enables programmers to write, modify, and collaborate on code from any computer or mobile device. Whether they are physically together or not, it is intended to make it simple for developers to collaborate on the same codebase.
JavaScript, Python, PHP, and many other programming languages and frameworks are supported by Codeanywhere—options for pricing range from $6 to $40 per month.
4. CodeTogether
Today, Developers can work on the same codebase simultaneously with CodeTogether, regardless of where they are located or their programming language. It is a browser-based solution offering real-time cursor synchronization, code sharing, and conversation.
CodeTogether may be used for local and remote development and is designed to interact with various programming languages and text editors, including Visual Studio Code, IntelliJ IDEA, and Eclipse. Additionally, it allows remote debugging, mob programming, and pair programming. Both free and commercial versions of it are accessible.
5. AWS Cloud9
Developers can write, execute, and debug code in several programming languages, such as JavaScript, Python, PHP, and Ruby, using the web-based IDE known as AWS Cloud9. It is a fully managed service with a monthly cost of around $2.
Cloud9 offers a code editor with features such as syntax highlighting followed by code completion and error checking to make it simple for developers to write code. Additionally, it has a debugging function that enables programmers to inspect variables, step through code, and set breakpoints.
The most crucial component, however, is an integrated terminal that gives developers immediate access to the command line and allows them to execute commands inside the IDE.
Benefits of Code Collaboration
There are various benefits to collaborative coding, including:
Collaboration: Collaboration while debugging can make it simpler and more effective. Developers can collaborate to find and fix errors immediately rather than waiting for a scheduled code review meeting. This can save time and lessen the chance that other bugs will be overlooked.
Accountability: Code collaboration can improve team members' responsibility. When numerous people work on the same codebase, it becomes more difficult for one individual to take shortcuts or make mistakes without anyone noticing. This may result in fewer errors and higher-quality code.
Project continuity: Project continuity is made possible by collaborative coding, which can assist in keeping a project on schedule. It is easier for one person to become a bottleneck or work to stop if one is available when several individuals work on the same codebase. Additionally, collaboration can offer various points of view on the codebase and improve decision-making.
Conclusion
Teams that work together to develop software are essential for producing effective, inventive, and efficient outcomes. When your developers collaborate, your team can produce excellent outcomes.
Open communication is a fundamental cooperation principle that must be maintained. Excellent communication tools can also be used to simplify the procedure. Maintaining thorough documentation is also very beneficial. Assist in closing feedback loops to promote ongoing learning and development.
Finally, it's imperative to have precise job standards. With a defined structure in place, your team can work together. You can create a stellar software development team if you adhere to these collaborative best practices.
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