Handling Technical Debt

Making things more complicated will bring a big problem to us only. So better to handle technical debt. Make it a mission to over technical debt by handling it properly.

The 2 important strategies to handle it are:

1. Accessing the Amount of Technical Debt

You have to determine the amount of technical debt in your project before you can take any action. This entails evaluating several factors, including testing coverage, architecture, documentation, and code quality. Among the methods for determining technical debt are:

  • Code Reviews: To find instances of shoddy design, redundant code, or out-of-date code, thoroughly review the code.
  • Static Code Analysis: To find possible problems like complexity, maintainability concerns, and code smells, use tools that analyze code without running it.
  • Automated Testing: Calculate the extent of testing coverage and note any gaps, as these may point to possible technical debt.

2. Deciding which one to Solve First

After evaluating the technical debt, it’s critical to decide which problems should be fixed first. Not all technical debt is created equal, and certain problems could affect the project more than others. Think about the following while choosing which technical debt to address:

  • Effect on Business Objectives: Give priority to technical debt that has a direct bearing on the achievement of business goals or the provision of value to users.
  • Danger of New Problems: Pay down the technical debt that has the greatest potential to cause issues or delays on the road.
  • Cost of Delay: Compare the expenses of taking care of technical debt right away with the costs of waiting. In some circumstances, paying off technical debt sooner rather than later could be more economical.

Understanding Technical Debt in Software Engineering

In this article, we will get to know about Technical Debt, types of technical debt, and finally this technical debt is good or bad. So, let’s start it.

Table of Content

  • What is Technical Debt?
  • Types of Technical Debts
  • Ways to Avoid Technical Debt
  • Technical Debt is good or bad?
  • Handling Technical Debt
  • Technical Debt Balance
  • Conclusion

Technical debt often happens in the software development process. It is nearly impossible to develop any software perfectly which requires no refactoring later on especially when the deadline is small. And refactoring is nothing but the process of rearranging the structure of the source code of the project without changing any functionalities. The purpose of refactoring is to improve the operation of the code and to get a more efficient, scalable, and reusable code.  

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What is Technical Debt?

Technical debt is a concept of skipping or postponing particular work to finish and deliver the project on time. And that work becomes debt because, in the end, it has to be done by the developers anyway. It is like taking shortcuts to deliver the project quickly by choosing time over the quality of the code....

Types of Technical Debts

1. Planned Technical Debt...

Ways to Avoid Technical Debt

Regularly Refactor: Refactoring should be included as a fundamental step in the development process. Code should be reviewed and refactored regularly to enhance its readability, structure, and maintainability. Divide big, complicated functions or classes into smaller, easier-to-manage parts to improve reusability and decrease coupling. Compose Detailed Examinations: Put in place a thorough testing plan that includes automated regression tests, integration tests, and unit tests. Make sure there is enough test coverage to identify and stop regressions, which lowers the possibility of untested changes causing technical debt. Avoid Overengineer: Look for simplicity in both the plan and the execution. Steer clear of overengineering by making solutions as simple and basic as you can. Avoid the urge to include unnecessary characteristics that could lead to higher maintenance costs and needless technical debt. As technical debt emerges, take action: As soon as technical debt is discovered, give it top priority. Every development iteration should include time set aside for code cleanup and refactoring. Track technical debt with tools and analytics like static code analysis reports, code smells, and code complexity measures. Encourage Developers: Give engineers the freedom to take the lead in efforts to reduce technical debt and improve code quality. Promote a shared accountability and ongoing development culture for preserving code quality. Give developers the time, money, and instruction they need to devote to activities aimed at reducing their technical debt and improving their skills....

Technical Debt is good or bad?

Sometimes good and sometimes bad. Let’s see how....

Handling Technical Debt

Making things more complicated will bring a big problem to us only. So better to handle technical debt. Make it a mission to over technical debt by handling it properly....

Technical Debt Balance

As from above, we got to know it is neither completely bad nor completely good. So, a proper balance is required. High technical debt reflects low morale and motivation which results in lower productivity and indirectly it increases pressure to increase productivity which leads to high technical debt. So, it’s like a cycle once we are in the cycle it’s difficult to come out of it. So better to maintain a proper balance from the beginning....

Conclusion

The proper balance of the technical debt is between the release of code that’s good enough for delivery and developing the perfectly designed software. The software development team has to strike the right balance between both of them. The team may choose one over the other choice depending on the requirements of the market. That’s all about technical debt....

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