docs/BEST_PRACTICES.md

Best Practices for Integrated System

Date: 2025-01-27 Purpose: Best practices and guidelines for working with integrated workspace Status: Complete

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Overview

This document outlines best practices for developing, maintaining, and operating projects in the integrated workspace.

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Code Organization

Use Shared Packages

• Always prefer shared packages over duplicate code
• Check workspace-shared/ before creating new utilities
• Contribute common code to shared packages

Project Structure

project/
├── src/              # Source code
├── tests/            # Tests
├── docs/             # Project documentation
├── package.json      # Dependencies
└── README.md         # Project overview

Naming Conventions

• Files: kebab-case (user-service.ts)
• Classes: PascalCase (UserService)
• Functions: camelCase (getUserById)
• Constants: UPPER_SNAKE_CASE (MAX_RETRIES)

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Dependency Management

Use Workspace Packages

{
  "dependencies": {
    "@workspace/shared-types": "workspace:*",
    "@workspace/shared-auth": "workspace:*"
  }
}

Version Pinning

• Production: Pin exact versions
• Development: Use workspace:* for shared packages
• External: Use semantic versioning ranges

Dependency Updates

• Regular audits: Run pnpm audit monthly
• Security updates: Apply immediately
• Major updates: Test thoroughly before applying

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Testing

Test Coverage

• Minimum: 80% code coverage
• Critical paths: 100% coverage
• Edge cases: Test all error scenarios

Test Organization

tests/
├── unit/             # Unit tests
├── integration/      # Integration tests
├── e2e/              # End-to-end tests
└── fixtures/         # Test data

Testing Best Practices

• Write tests before code (TDD)
• Use descriptive test names
• Mock external dependencies
• Test error cases
• Keep tests fast and isolated

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Documentation

README Requirements

• Project overview
• Setup instructions
• Usage examples
• API documentation
• Contributing guidelines

Code Documentation

• JSDoc for public APIs
• Inline comments for complex logic
• Architecture diagrams for complex systems
• Update docs with code changes

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CI/CD

Workflow Standards

• Lint: Run on all PRs
• Test: Run on all PRs
• Build: Run on all PRs
• Deploy: Run on main branch

Pipeline Best Practices

• Fast feedback (< 10 minutes)
• Parallel execution where possible
• Caching for dependencies
• Clear error messages

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Infrastructure

Infrastructure as Code

• Always use Terraform for infrastructure
• Use shared modules from infrastructure/terraform/modules/
• Version control all infrastructure changes
• Test infrastructure changes in dev first

Resource Naming

• Use consistent naming conventions
• Include environment prefix
• Include project identifier
• Use descriptive names

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Security

Secrets Management

• Never commit secrets to git
• Use environment variables or secret managers
• Rotate secrets regularly
• Audit secret access

Authentication

• Use shared auth package (@workspace/shared-auth)
• Implement proper RBAC
• Use JWT tokens with expiration
• Validate all inputs

Dependencies

• Regular audits: pnpm audit
• Update promptly: Security patches
• Review: New dependencies before adding
• Pin versions: For production

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Performance

Code Optimization

• Profile before optimizing
• Use shared utilities
• Cache expensive operations
• Optimize database queries

Infrastructure

• Right-size resources
• Use auto-scaling
• Monitor resource usage
• Optimize costs

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Monitoring

Logging

• Use structured logging (JSON)
• Include correlation IDs
• Log at appropriate levels
• Don't log sensitive data

Metrics

• Track key business metrics
• Monitor error rates
• Track performance metrics
• Set up alerts

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Git Workflow

Branching Strategy

• main: Production-ready code
• develop: Integration branch
• feature/: New features
• fix/: Bug fixes
• hotfix/: Critical fixes

Commit Messages

feat: add user authentication
fix: resolve login timeout issue
docs: update API documentation
refactor: simplify payment processing
test: add integration tests

Pull Requests

• Small PRs: Easier to review
• Clear description: What and why
• Tests: Include tests
• Documentation: Update docs
• Review: Get approval before merging

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Error Handling

Error Types

• Validation errors: Return 400
• Authentication errors: Return 401
• Authorization errors: Return 403
• Not found: Return 404
• Server errors: Return 500

Error Messages

• User-friendly: Clear messages
• Actionable: What to do next
• Secure: Don't leak sensitive info
• Logged: Log detailed errors

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API Design

RESTful APIs

• Use standard HTTP methods
• Use proper status codes
• Version APIs (/v1/, /v2/)
• Document with OpenAPI/Swagger

Response Format

{
  "data": { ... },
  "meta": {
    "pagination": { ... }
  },
  "errors": []
}

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Database

Migrations

• Version all migrations
• Test migrations in dev
• Backup before production
• Rollback plan ready

Queries

• Use parameterized queries
• Index frequently queried fields
• Avoid N+1 queries
• Monitor slow queries

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Deployment

Deployment Strategy

• Blue-Green: Zero downtime
• Canary: Gradual rollout
• Rolling: Incremental updates
• Feature flags: Control feature rollout

Pre-Deployment

• Run all tests
• Check dependencies
• Review security
• Update documentation

Post-Deployment

• Monitor metrics
• Check logs
• Verify functionality
• Update status page

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Collaboration

Code Reviews

• Be constructive: Focus on code, not person
• Be timely: Review within 24 hours
• Be thorough: Check logic, tests, docs
• Be respectful: Professional tone

Communication

• Clear: Be specific
• Timely: Respond promptly
• Documented: Important decisions in ADRs
• Transparent: Share progress and blockers

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Continuous Improvement

Regular Reviews

• Code reviews: Every PR
• Architecture reviews: Quarterly
• Security reviews: Monthly
• Performance reviews: As needed

Learning

• Stay updated: Follow tech trends
• Share knowledge: Tech talks, docs
• Experiment: Try new approaches
• Measure: Track improvements

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Related Documents

• Onboarding Guide
• Testing Standards
• Deployment Guide
• Monorepo Governance

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Last Updated: 2025-01-27