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The Code Maintainability Test Questions

Home > Blogs > The Code Maintainability Test Questions By: Rob Waller, March 26, 2020 #code #maintainability #maintenance #costs

These are just the questions for the Code Maintainability Test. The test will help you understand the state of your codebase and make improvements. For a fuller explanation of the Code Maintainability Test please read the associated post.

Questions

  1. Do you have a well written README which explains installation, setup and usage? (+1 Point)
  2. Do you have clear code comments which explain the existence and intent of the code? (+1 Point)
  3. Do you run code lint tools? (+1 Point)
  4. Do you have a code coverage score greater than 60%? (+1 Point)
  5. Do you have a code coverage score greater than 90%? (+1 Point)
  6. Do you run mutation test or fault injection tools? (+1 Point)
  7. Do you use a strongly typed language or run a static analyser? (+1 Point)
  8. Do you run mess detection tools? (+1 Point)
  9. Do you have an average code complexity below 10? (+1 Point)
  10. Do you have an average code complexity below 5? (+1 Point)

Scores

0 - 3 Points: Your codebase is difficult to maintain. It will have a high bug density; It will be difficult to add new features; New developers will struggle to learn the codebase and contribute; Costs will be high; A long and difficult rebuild is likely.

4 - 7 Points: Your codebase will have maintenance issues. It will have a moderate to high bug density; Some features will be difficult to add; New developers will struggle with aspects of your codebase; Costs will be moderate to high. Improvements can be made.

8 - 10 Points: Your codebase is easy to maintain. It will have a low bug density; You can easily add new features; New developers will learn the codebase quickly; Costs will be minimised. Keep up the good work.