In software development, code reuse is the technique of reusing existing code or components to create new software applications or modules. Instead of beginning from scratch each time, developers can save time, effort, and resources by reusing existing code. Developers or testers can ensure code reliability by following Modularize code, defining clear interfaces, minimizing dependencies, writing flexible code, and many more. You will learn about them in detail in this answer.
The code you want to reuse should have these features mentioned below:
- Versatility: Versatility permits the code to be easily changed for another application.
- Compatibility: Code reusability is dependent on its compatibility with different hardware
- Bug-free: It should be devoid of any bugs or defects that could jeopardize the security or dependability of the other program.
Types of Code Reuse
Before we move to ensure the reusability of codes, let's understand the type of code reuse. There are two major types of code reuse such as:
- Internal reuse: Internal reuse occurs when code produced by a development team or company is reused for other projects.
- External reuse: When a third-party tool or code is licensed and used in a project, this is referred to as external reuse. This can be difficult because there will be expenditures associated, as well as time required to learn and execute the tool. Furthermore, it establishes a reliance on an external tool, which may lead to problems down the road.
How to ensure code reliability?
Before reusing any code, it is critical to ensure that the code is of high quality. To establish whether the code quality is sufficient for code reuse, four primary items must be evaluated.
- Modularize your code: Break your code down into modular components, such as functions, classes, or modules. This allows particular components to be reused without affecting the rest of the codebase.
- Reduce dependencies: Reducing dependencies makes it easy to reuse code in many settings without becoming too dependent on a single environment. Avoid writing code that is overly reliant on specific dependencies or external resources.
- Write flexible code: Aim to write code that is adaptable to a variety of contexts. Generic code that is easily customizable or modified is more likely to be reused across multiple projects or use cases.
- Test reusable code: Code that has been thoroughly tested and proven to be reliable is more likely to be trusted and reused by other developers. Test and validate your reusable code thoroughly to ensure it works as expected in all scenarios and use cases.