Development Best Practices

Provides guidelines to developers for developing and testing applications.

1. Web
2. Backend
3. Mobile

Note: All builds and their updates should be sent to [email protected] with the subject “Project Name : iOS / Android / React : version”

Web

Please follow code style guidelines from here

Format and Validations

• Define validations for all form fields before starting the project and make sure you perform those validations on client-side unless otherwise specified
• Trim all text fields to avoid empty space acceptance. Empty spaces should only be acceptable in passwords
• Use number type field in HTML5 wherever you expect number only field
• Define maximum and minimum character limits for all form fields and put those validations on all the form fields
• Each required field should be completely validated and verified individually before moving to next one
• Format for dates should be discussed with the product owner and the same format should be used throughout

Design

• Ensure that you understand the design and that the design can be implemented on the screen sizes we wish to support
• Define screen resolutions to support and bound the limits for different devices for responsive implementation (For example, mobile should be < 760, iPad should be >760 and < 1120)
• Screen should either be responsive or fixed-width
• When content needs to be centered vertically, fix the height of parent
• Widgets / Text should not overlap when screen size changes
• Define base font-size for the application before starting development
• Designer should always provide a style guide and MUST use that style guide for all their screens
• Developers should agree on style guide before starting on a project and if time permits, create an implementation of style guide as well Example Style Guide
• Implement a SCSS / LESS variable page and use those variables across CSS instead of hardcoding color, padding, radius, borders Example Variable File
• Static (dummy) data must be taken out before the final build testing
• Placeholder images for user (and other resources) should be used across the application in case no image is provided from backend (or while the image is loading)
• Loaders should be used everywhere API response is required
• Timestamps should always be present with posts. Timestamp format should be pre-negotiated with web
• Tracking of “back” button should be pre-decided for all the views. On completion of signup and similar forms with multiple screens, back button should take the user to starting step instead of the last step
• URL Schemes for API’s and Frontend
• URL should always be lisp-case (or kebab-case)

Backend

Please follow code style guidelines from here

Code Structure

• Put controllers and models under app/ directory
• Create a config.json with environment named keys in it { "development": {}, "production": {} } or use configuration file based on environment names (production.json, development.json). All the environment specific items should be put in configurations and used from there. For example, DB credentials, App URL etc
• Always use lodash to work with arrays
• Always use (Moment](http://momentjs.com/) to work with dates
• Whenever working with MySQL, always create migrations to setup schema instead of writing queries locally to setup schema
• This yeoman generator sets up the NodeJS application with all the above mentioned guidelines: https://www.npmjs.com/package/generator-maskers. Feel free to create a pull request to add stuff to it

REST API's

• Always version the API's: http://api.example.com/v1/users/3
• Humans SHOULD be able to easily read and construct URLs
• Properly use the following methods:

Method	Description	Idempotent
GET	Return current value of the object	Yes
POST	Create a new object based on data provided	No
PUT	Replace an object with provided object	Yes
PATCH	Apply partial update to an object	No
Delete	Delete the object	Yes

• Get with :id should return a single object http://api.example.com/v1/users/3
• Get without :id should return an array of objects http://api.example.com/v1/users. Each object in array should contain an :id field that client can use to do further operations on the object
• Try to use nouns instead of verbs in the URL's. For example, use POST /v1/users instead of POST http /v1/createUser. POST already means create, no need to specify create in the URL.
• Use plurals in API's. /v1/users instead of /v1/user

Request and Response Payload

• Use JSON for request and response payload
• Date format should always be ISO string (looks like this { "creationDate" : "2015-02-13T13:15Z" } unless otherwise specified.

Mobile Applications (Android / IOS / React)

Form validation

• Trimmed fields to avoid spaces acceptance. Acceptable only for passwords
• Numeric keyboard for number entry
• Minimum and Maximum characters limit should be predefined in First name, Last name, password, confirm password.
• DOB format should be defined
• Email validation and verification
• Each field should be completely validated and verified individually before moving to next one.
• Hierarchy of validation on submit button:
  • Internet check
  • Field validation
  • Credentials check

Internet checks

• In case when WiFi is disconnected or Internet is off, app should not crash. Loader for API should stop after a certain timeout and the user should be notified

Responsive design

• Widgets / Text should not overlap when screen size changes

Consistent design

• Consistent design across screens
• Static (dummy) data must be taken out before the final build testing
• Placeholder images should be used across the application in case no image is provided from backend (or while the image is loading)
• Loaders should be used everywhere API response is required
• Timestamps should always be present with posts. Timestamp format should be pre-negotiated with Android and iOS
• Scroll views should be implemented for all input fields. Keyboards should never cover the input field you are writing in
• Tracking of “back” button should be pre-decided for all the views. Signup and form stuff should be taken out of “back” button
• There should be a uniformity among design of the application on all platforms(Android/IOS/React)
• Avoid using application’s native font. Try using custom style-sheet on all platforms(Android/IOS/React). Coordinate with Design department

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