Building websites will eventually force you to deal with the same difficulty more than once, making the process very interesting.
How frequently do you find yourself in a situation where you need to complete a task only to recall that you have already created some code that would be an ideal solution? Then, how frequently was it quite difficult to locate that very same snippet?
Web designers frequently face such difficulties. Because of this, basic project documentation can be helpful. You’ll have a simple method to go and find that time-saving snippet if you put such a system in place, so get started immediately.
Here are some suggestions for recording what you’ve done, which you may use, whether you’re currently working on a new project or going back through some of your older ones.
Table of Contents
1. Comment on the codes you do
While writing code, it only makes sense to add relevant comments on exactly what the code does.
It is common practice to write a brief explanation of the function’s purpose and relevance directly above each added function. In addition to that, adding important notes inside those functions enables us to obtain a better grasp of how everything is put together.
The method is not limited to using complicated programming languages such as PHP or JavaScript. Additionally, it works well with CSS as well. It is quite helpful to identify particular styles and the context in which they are utilized to locate exactly what you require.
2. Creating a journal
In this instance, we are discussing a paper that could be a resource for a future endeavour. If your website experiences technical difficulties or requires the addition of a new feature, you can use this as a point of reference to get specifics of how things were set up.
Start a new document in your word processor, or establish a wiki on your local system if you want to go all out. You are free to provide any detail you’d like. In this context, there are no unbreakable rules.
Note any unique styles, pieces of code, or templates you’ve generated and save them. You should also make sure to document anything special about the server’s configuration, such as if you built it up yourself.
3. Maintenance of a Code Snippet Library
There is no reason to create something from scratch when it comes to coding. A significant portion of what we write is completely recyclable. Even if it doesn’t perfectly meet the requirements of your new project, the correct snippet can nevertheless act as a reliable foundation.
However, it might be difficult to organize the various pieces of code that make up the program. You could simply cut and paste helpful sections into a document and retrieve them whenever necessary.
It’s possible that a repository on GitHub would be the best option. You’d be able to organize items into categories and set up version control with its help. It is even possible to synchronize a repository with another service, allowing you to use or access the data in various ways.
Conclusion
To get everything in order, you can use any of the above strategies or perhaps all of them. The fact that you can personalize everything to your liking is undoubtedly the nicest aspect. Whether you do this by taking copious notes or by setting yourself regular reminders, you will better understand the online projects you are working on.
