Development principles
Adhere to a solutions architecture
Software SHOULD align with our API-first and Cloud-first strategies. Follow a Solutions Architecture Design, reviewed by the Technical Design Assurance Group, to meet these goals.
Further reading and information
Write modular code
Build modular code using APIs and NuGet packages.
Further reading and information
Practical tips
Sharing validated, trusted code is a principle of secure coding.
Use version control
Effective source control is essential. Follow our guide for help.
Using source control
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Structure repositories for clarity and scalability.
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Use consistent branching and merging strategies.
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Follow versioning conventions to track releases.
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Write clear, conventional commit messages.
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Conduct constructive code reviews.
Further reading and information
Practical tips
Apply source control to databases and application code.
Follow coding standards
Deliver reliable, maintainable software by adhering to these guides:
Note
Rules for table design, maintainable queries, procedures, and transaction handling.
Note
How to Organise Your Software Solution
Guidance on project structure, folder conventions, documentation, and dependency layering.
Note
Clean code, defensive coding, implementing SOLID principles and Microsoft formatting and naming standards.
Further reading and information
Adopt Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous Delivery (CD)
All teams MUST use CI/CD to improve quality and accelerate the frequency of deployment.
Further reading and information
Use continuous integration - Azure DevOps | Microsoft Learn
What is continuous delivery? - Azure DevOps | Microsoft Learn
Continuous Delivery vs Continuous Deployment - Continuous Delivery
For full guidance on how to implement CI/CD, refer to the references below:
Publishing as open source
The Digital Service Standard for Wales and the Welsh Technical Standards Board encourage making source code open. But this guide does not cover open-source publishing.
If you plan to make your source code open, you SHOULD obtain the necessary approval and comply with any necessary organisational or legal requirements.
Further reading and information
Digital Service Standards - Digital Public Service Wales (gov.wales)
Practical tips
Access to github.com/GIGCymru/GitHub-GIG-Cymru/wiki/Public-Repos requires a DHCW GitHub Enterprise account.