gitea_templates/README.md

Project Guidelines

• Git
• Documentation
• Environments
• Dev Environment
• Dependencies
• Testing
• Structure and Naming
• Code style
• Logging
• Licensing

1. Git

• We use GitFlow, read more here A successful Git branching model » nvie.com
• Resolve potential conflicts before making a Pull Request
• Never Push into develop branch.
• Keep your develop and master update.
• Make a Pull Requests to develop only if your build have been successful on your machine (this includes passing tests and [code style](#code style) checks )
• Merge your pull requests only after receiving approval from at least one of your team members.
• Use hive’s .gitignore file.
• Make sure your .gitignore exclude the following from Repo
  • .env or any file containing passwords, keys, tokens or anything similar used in production
  • Your editor config files (.idea, .vscode etc…)
  • Any generated file (compiled sources, build outputs, logs)
  • You dependencies directory (node_modules, bower_components etc…)
  • OS folder view configuration (.DS_STORE, Desktop.ini etc…)
  • Thumbnail cache files (._*, Thumbs.db etc…)

2. Documentation

• Follow hive’s README.md template for start (add extra sections if necessary). hive’s README.md template
• If project is broken down into more than one repo, provide links in the README.md file.
• Keep README.md updated
• Comment all your code to make it as clear as possible how your app works, and what you are intending with each major section.
• Update your comments

3. Environmental Awareness

• Depending on project size, define separate development, test and production environments.
• Load your deployment specific configurations from environment variables and never add them to the codebase as constants, look at this sample.
• Your config should be correctly separated from the apps internals if the codebase could be made public at any moment. Use .env files to store your variables and add them to gitignore to be excluded from your code base because of course, you want the environment to provide them. Instead commit a .env.example which serves as a guide for developers to know which environment variables the project needs. It is important to remember that this setup should only be used for development. For production you should still set your environment variables in the standard way.
• It’s recommended to validate environment variables before your app starts , look at this sample using joi to validate provided values:

4. Dev Environment

4.1 Consistent dev environments:

• Use engines in package.json to specify the version of node that your stuff works on.
• Use nvm and create a .nvmrc in your project root. Mention in documentation
• Use a preinstall script that checks node and npm versions
• Or if it doesn’t make things complicated use a docker images
• Local modules instead of requiring global installation

4.2 Consistent dependencies:

• Use package-lock.json on npm 5 and later
• For older versions of npm Use —save --save-exact when installing a new dependency and create npm-shrinkwrap.json before publishing.
• If you use Yarn make sure to mention it in README.md. Your lock file and package.json should have the same versions after each dependency upgrade.
• Read more package-locks | npm Documentation

5. Dependencies

Before using a package check its Github open issues, daily downloads and number of contributors as well as the date package last updated. If less known dependency is needed, discuss it with the team before using it.

• Which packages am I using? And for each one... ls | npm Documentation
• Am I still using this package?depcheck Always get rid of unused packages
• Are other developers using this package? npm-stat: download statistics for NPM packages
• Am I using the latest version of this package? outdated | npm Documentation
• When was this package last updated? view | npm Documentation
• How many maintainers do these packages have? view | npm Documentation
• Does this package have known security vulnerabilities? Test | Snyk

6. Testing

• Have a test mode environment if needed.
• Place your test files next to the tested modules using *.test.js or *.spec.js naming convention, like module_name.spec.js
• Put your additional test files to a separate test folder to avoid confusion.
• write testable code, avoid side effect, extract side effects, write pure functions
• Don’t write too many tests to check types, instead use a Static type checker
• Run tests locally before any pull request to develop.

7. Structure and Naming

• Organise your files around product features / pages / components, not Roles:

// BAD 
.
├── controllers
|   ├── product.js
|   └── user.js
├── models
|   ├── product.js
|   └── user.js

// GOOD
.
├── product
|   ├── index.js
|   ├── product.js
|   └── product.test.js
├── user
|   ├── index.js
|   ├── user.js
|   └── user.test.js

• Place Your Test Files Next to The Implementation
• Put your additional test files to a separate test folder to avoid confusion.
• Use a ./config directory
• Put Your Long npm Scripts in a ./scripts directory. This is for bash and node scripts for database synchronisation, front-end build scripts and so on.
• Put your compiled or built output in a ./build folder
• Use PascalCase/camelCase for filenames and directory names too. Which PascalCase is for Components.
• CheckBox/index.js should have the CheckBox component, as could CheckBox.js, but not CheckBox/CheckBox.js or checkbox/CheckBox.js
• Ideally the directory name would match the name of the default export of index.js

8. Code style

• Use latest stablished JavaScript syntax for new projects
• Include code style check before build process
• Use ESLint - Pluggable JavaScript linter to enforce code style
• Use Airbnb JavaScript Style Guide for JavaScript. Read more · GitBook
• Use Flow type linting rules for ESLint. for FlowType
• Use .eslintignore to exclude file or folders from linting.
• Remove your eslint disable comments before making a Pull Request
• Always use //todo: comments to remind yourself and others about an unfinished job
• Always comment and keep them relevant as code changes
• Remove commented block of code when possible
• Avoid console logs on client side code in production
• Avoid alerts in production
• Avoid irrelevant or funny comments, logs or naming.
• Write testable code, avoid side effect, extract side effects, write pure functions
• Make your names searchable with meaningful distinctions avoid shortened names. For functions Use long, descriptive names. A function name should be a verb or a verb phrase, and it needs to communicate its intention
• Organise your functions in a file according to the stepdown rule. Higher level functions should be on top and lower levels below. It makes it natural to read the source code.

9. Logging

• Avoid client side console logs in production
• Produce readable production logging. Ideally use production logging libraries to be used in production mode.

10. Licensing

Make sure you use resources that you have the rights to use. Copyrighted images and videos, for example, could cause legal problems.

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Sources: RisingStack Engineering, Mozilla Developer Network, Heroku Dev Center, airbnb/javascript

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