The Importance Of Code Reusability In Software Development

In order to succeed in today's world, modern applications need to be accurate and fast.

 

Businesses that wish to remain competitive must offer products that offer value for their hard-earned money. 

 

Consumers around the world are demanding more value for their hard-earned money.

 

 

Code reuse simplifies, speeds up, and resolves the technical challenges associated with software products for software developers. 

 

The key to effectively reusing code is understanding its nuances.

 

You'll find all the information you need to optimize your workflow in this post about code reuse.

 

From what it is to the benefits it provides, to when it should be avoided.

 

What Is Code Reuse and When Can It Be Used?

 

 

The meaning of code reuse is the reuse of existing (already written) code from either external sources or from one's own past projects to develop new code (also called software reuse). 

 

It is common for programmers to duplicate or reuse similar functions.

 

However, only quality code (without bugs) can be reused.

 

It is quite clear that if the code has flaws, it cannot be trusted, secure, or safe.

 

A fast, secure, and reliable application requires a lot of programming skills.

 

Therefore, developers should analyze the conditions and requirements of a project before reusing its code.

 

In a nutshell, conditions favoring reusing code include the following:

 

• The application is free from defects that affect the security or safety of the application over the long run.

 

•  A code that can easily be extended and accepted into a new application.

 

• Transferring the code to different hardware.

 

Next, let's look at some of the advantages of reusing code.

 

The Advantages of Code Reuse

 

The benefits of reusing code both have to do with quality and speed. Let's learn more about them. 

 

1. Significantly Reduced Total Development Time

 

Quick software development benefits companies because it reduces their time-to-market and boosts their productivity.

 

Businesses need rapid app development since they wish to keep up with their competitors and gain the "early-bird advantage" in the market.

 

Using code reuse allows programmers to reuse the same code for similar features in multiple apps, reducing the time it takes to develop new applications.

 

Also, tools such as Python Package Index and GitHub assist developers in finding the code for new applications.

 

Developers can use the extra time they save from basic coding to create unique, new features to add value to a product.

 

2. Product Improvement at a Lower Cost

 

 

As code reuse reduces the duration of app development and reduces costs, it also keeps the budget in check.

 

By using preexisting code, businesses can avoid hiring extra staff and working on extra resources, thus keeping app development costs low. 

 

Further, the time saved by not repeating the same code can be dedicated to writing unique code to improve the quality of the product.

 

Reusable code must be safe and secure as the only requirement for it to be useful. 

 

3. Improved User Experience

 

By reusing the code, you can enhance the user experience and increase retention rates.

 

Reusing code is safe, secure, and reliable, so it adds value to the app.

 

Additionally, since the code is smaller, it has less chance of having flaws. 

 

As a result of fewer lines of code, an application is more likely to be understandable and simple.

 

As a result of a better user experience, business software is built to encourage more engagement and revisits.

 

4. Prevent Code Bloat

 

Code bloat, or the excess of computer instructions and source code, can be avoided when code reuse is efficient and systematic.

 

Code is regarded as bloated when it is unnecessarily long and consumes a lot of resources. 

 

Resource efficiency is the highest priority in the development process.

 

Therefore, it is important to systematically share the code across all systems as a single component to avoid the emergence of unwanted functionality.

 

When Should We Avoid Code Reuse?

 

 

Reusing code may not work for every project.

 

Developers are therefore responsible for first assessing the situation and then moving forward with the reuse.

 

Code reuse should be avoided in general if developers can only use a part of it, as in this case, it will probably lead to quality problems, resulting in wasted time and a buggy product.

 

When this occurs, it might be best to learn the basic functionality of the app, that is, to understand what the code does and then create new code that performs the desired functionality. 

 

Code Reuse's Drawbacks

 

In addition to the advantages of code reuse, there are also some disadvantages.

 

However, businesses should keep in mind that these disadvantages are often based on a specific situation.

 

Compared to a custom library, a third-party library could be less 

 

robust, but it could also reduce programming time.

 

Code reuse has some disadvantages, as follows.

 

1. Performance Decrease

 

 

In order for the framework or library to perform well, these two factors need to be considered:

 

•  Platform

 

•  Programming language

 

This could cause the framework to operate slower than expected, ultimately impairing the app's performance.

 

Thus, it is recommended to build a specialized solution instead of using a common library in this situation.

 

It is also possible to access APIs over an entire system if you are working within a local system, to take some time longer than simply solving the problem.

 

Apart from the APIs, the modularity system also tends to create bottlenecks.

 

2. No Control Over Third-Party Solutions

 

An inability to control third-party solutions can have negative consequences.

 

There can be technical problems, for example:

 

• There are problems adding desired features.

 

• There is insufficient security testing.

 

Aside from the technical problems, you may also have liability and licensing concerns.

 

Reusing code is less secure than rewriting it from scratch adhering to safety standards.

 

The Difficulties of Reusing Code

 

Code reuse involves operational challenges as well as technical challenges. We will discuss both types of challenges in detail below.

 

1. Technical Difficulties

 

 

For code to be reused, developers must ensure efficiency as well as reliability.

 

Memory, utilization, and response time can be improved, and the processor can be monitored in order to increase code efficiency.

 

Code needs to be both efficient and maintainable.

 

A simple but effective way to see whether the code is maintainable is to check it for compliance.

 

2. Difficulties in Operations

 

Project managers must plan both long-term and short-term plans while developing reusable code.

 

Therefore, they must add additional resources to the project at the beginning.

 

As a project manager, short-term benefit means quickly designing software that can meet the client's expectations; long-term benefit means looking at proper documentation, design, and code quality.

 

Developers need to spend extra time writing documentation for planned code reuse.

 

Developers working on strict deadlines may find it difficult to meet deadlines if they need extra time to test the code thoroughly. 

 

Code Reuse Best Practices

 

 

There are a lot of benefits to reusing code, but if developers do not follow best practices, they cannot reap those benefits.

 

In order to help you, here are a few best practices for reusing code. 

 

• In Code Reuse, keep track of the external components.

 

• Only Reuse Code from Trusted Sources.

 

• Your Developers Should Be Trained.

 

• Documentation is essential.

 

Reusing Code Can Aid in Optimization

 

I have explained in this post that reusing code can help you optimize your process by reducing development time, ensuring a robust product, and even ensuring you remain within budget. 

 

Code reuse is not always advantageous.

 

Sometimes you will simply have to start from scratch, as we saw.

 

Furthermore, code reuse does come with some disadvantages, that might or might not be relevant to your situation.

 

Choosing the best practices I shared may depend on your individual needs, but following them will help you know when and how to reuse code in order to increase your efficiency.