Time out for Best Coding Practices

Of course you want working code, but  make your code readable so:

1. Can tell if code doing what you want now.
2. Understand your code in a year.

Best Coding Practices

• Use variable names that are meaningful. 
• Abbreviations are ok.
• Makes code understandable with minimum of comments
• Avoid hard-coding values in code
• By using setting a constant variable 
• use const before declaring the variable
• const int photoresistorPin = 3; //blue
• const int tooClose = 40; // 40 cm is too close
• const int launchCata = 180; // degrees to move to launch catapult
• In code: if (distance < tooClose) cata.write(launchCata);
• Then you can change the value in 1 place
• Move sensor to a different pin on Arduino
• Maybe better if 20 or 60 cm is too close
• Maybe 90 degrees is enough to launch catapult
• Declare variable at top of code, so easy to find
• Group related variables together
• Use functions rather than repeating (similar) code via cut/paste
• shortens code so easier to understand and type in
• give function name so easy to know what it does
• int sonicBat() - returns distance measures from ultrasonic sensor
• void moveMotor(int speed) - move motor at speed requested
• always put helper functions in same place in code.
• in blog helper functions come before loop function that uses these functions
• Comment code to include background info 
• distance = (duration/2)/29.1; 
• // speed of sound is: ~29.1 microsecs/cm or 1/29.1 cm/microsec
• For Arduino the wiring info in words and color of jumper wire using can help
• // L9110S pins 
• const int B1B = 9; // red  to pin 9
• const int B1A = 3; // blue to pin 3
• // GND             // purple to GND  by 5V on Arduino
• // VCC signal      // red    to 5V  by GND on Arduino 
• const int A1B = 11; // gray  to pin 11
• const int A1A = 10; // white to pin 10