Technological advancements push companies and software developers to implement new application features. The codes get bigger with every new feature. But, is that a good thing? Pushing programmers to write more code is certainly going to affect the quality of it. There are different approaches to that matter; let’s examine the differences between code quality and quantity and which work method is better.

What Determines the Quality of a Code

For a code to be considered a “Quality Code,” it must be bug-free, well documented with excellent performance. This means that testers and QA teams need to spend hours fixing all errors they can find while keeping the code intact and not removing any features.

In the current age, it’s a must for developers to focus on code quality. Almost all software companies use a code reviewing tool to help them increase code quality. On the other hand, code quality measurement can be tricky as it depends on the company’s and customer’s requirements. A quality code must be reliable, easy to maintain and test, and can be reused in other projects if needed.

Code Quality vs Code Quantity

Now knowing what determines the code’s quality, below are the different approaches in code writing, splitting the software developers.

A concept’s development begins with a well-defined action plan. More time is needed as more features are added to the basic design, but the deadline is approaching. This raises the question of whether we should provide the clients with quantity or quality. Each group understands how a code should be given to the client and what should happen if the deadline comes, but the code still isn’t ready.

Suppose the customer requested four features, and you agreed to supply them in a certain period of time (say, X). In that case, offering only three is not a good excuse, even if you can’t guarantee the quality of the features previously committed to. While it’s better to have three perfect features than four mediocre ones, remember that the client is always right. They have ordered something, and you’ve agreed to do it.

Now let’s look at things from another perspective. Suppose a software developer is working on a certain application and suddenly sees that a competitor has more features than them. This becomes an example of why developers sometimes rush the code, trying to release as many features as possible. For the first team to stand out, they need more features than the competitor.

The truth is that it doesn’t matter if you have ten features and your competitor has eleven. Each new feature and update needs to add value to the software. You can’t just add meaningless features, expecting the client to be happy with them. The customers need value, something that will help them and increase the effectiveness of the whole app.

Quality and quantity go hand in hand. You can only achieve this balance by careful planning, knowing what has to be done when, and obtaining the clients’ and development team’s agreement on the specifics. Maintain flexibility in your plans for your clients while acknowledging that adding new features may delay delivery; nevertheless, do not burn out your workforce.

Why is it important to have high-quality code?

While we mentioned some code quality specifics, it’s important to show further how important it is for software developers to keep their code quality high. That said, let’s look at some essential factors that show the importance of code quality.

Robust Software: When you send the final product to the client, it must be free of bugs, errors or mistakes. Your client, in most cases, isn’t going to be another developer that knows how the code works and will be using the application only as it’s supposed to be used.

Users make errors, and the code should be able to work even when a mistake is made. If the software you built isn’t robust enough, it will malfunction with every wrong input or mistake made in the process of using it.

Readability: A good code will be written so that it’s easy and convenient for another programmer to open it up and see how it works. The best software developers leave notations or comments throughout the code, making it easier for others to understand it.

Editability: Quality code should be written in such a way that it’s easy and convenient for it to be edited. Every feature in a code works together. A good code should be written so that different parts can be added, edited, or removed without breaking the whole application.

Sustainability: Technologies are changing every single day. While in the past a code could be written and stay the same for years, now most software needs to be updated every few months. That said, a good software developer will write the code so that it’s sustainable to tech changes. This means that the code is able to work on different apps and with different parameters.

Cross-platform operation: Most people use at least two or three different devices daily. To write high-quality code, you must make it sustainable for any platform. Let’s say you write a web application meant to be used on a computer, but someone decides to open it on a mobile device, it shouldn’t glitch out.

Testing: Providing high-quality code is essential to have consistent customers. This means your code should pass different tests and be free of bugs. The quantity of the code plays a huge role in testing and QA processes.

The bigger the code- the more time it will be needed to be tested as a whole. Moreover, if you have a big but clunky code, the testers will need more time to review it and clear any mistakes.

Importance of code quantity

In some cases, the code quantity is important. For example, when assessing the size of a software project. A project with many features or intricate specs will, by definition, have a larger codebase. It might indicate how particular the project is and how much effort was put into including the essential elements. Code amount may help in estimation and project planning.

Knowing the projected size of the codebase allows development teams to plan the time and resources required for implementation, testing, and delivery. It makes it easier to build realistic project timetables and allocate appropriate resources. There may be occasions when the demands of the firm or contractual agreements need a minimum or maximum code quantity.

Conclusion

Writing code needs both quantity and quality. Quantity refers to the amount of code you write, but quality refers to the care and attention you give to that writing. Strive for a balance between the two, because having a lot of poorly written code can cause difficulties just as much as having very little beautifully written code. The ultimate goal should always be to write understandable, concise, efficient, and maintainable code.