Git

Choose a Github Issue.

Create a local feature branch off of master for development.

git checkout master
git pull
git checkout -b 123-feature-xyz

Do work in your feature branch and commit the changes.

git add -A
git status
git commit

Write a good commit message.

[#123] Summary of changes under 50 characters

* More information about commit (under 72 characters)
* More information about commit (under 72 characters)

A good commit message:

• Prefixes the subject line with a Github Issue number.
• Uses the present tense.

Share your feature branch

git push origin [branch]

Rebase frequently to incorporate upstream changes.

git checkout master
git pull
git checkout [branch]
git rebase master
<resolve conflicts>

Interactive rebase (squash) your commits (if necessary).

git rebase -i master

Merge your branch back to master and push your changes.

git checkout master
git diff --stat master [branch]
git merge [branch] --ff-only
git push origin master

Delete your remote feature branch.

git push origin :[branch]

Delete your local feature branch.

git branch -d [branch]

Close Github Issue.

Programming

• Aggressively DRY code during development.
• Avoid abbreviations.
• Avoid comments.
• Avoid global variables.
• Avoid long parameter lists.
• Be consistent.
• Delete trailing whitespace.
• Don't duplicate the functionality of a built-in library.
• Don't over-design.
• Don't program defensively.
• Don't use an empty line at the beginning or end of methods, blocks or conditionals.
• Don't vertically align tokens on consecutive lines.
• Don't write more code than you need.
• Exceptions should be exceptional. Don't suppress them or use them for control flow.
• Guesses at future functionality should not be designed into the application.
• Keep methods small.
• Keep the code simple.
• Limit lines to a maximum of 80 characters.
• Make sure all tests pass before code is merged into a shared repository.
• Name variables, methods, and classes with intention-revealing names..
• No spaces after (, [. No spaces before ], ).
• Order variables and methods alphabetically when possible.
• Prefer single function exit points unless the complexity of the code is greatly reduced by multiple returns.
• Treat acronyms as words in names (XmlHttpRequest not XMLHTTPRequest), even if the acronym is the entire name (class Html not class HTML).
• Use 2 space indentation (no tabs) unless otherwise noted.
• Use an empty line between methods, blocks and conditionals.
• Use ASCII (or UTF-8, if you have to).
• Use default iterators for languages/types that support them.
• Use descriptive names that are both immediately obvious (to a new developer) and as short as possible without using abbreviations.
• Use implicit line joining where possible and indent continued lines.
• Use spaces around operators, after commas, colons and semicolons, around { and before }.
• Use standard language conventions for API documentation.
• Use Unix-style line endings (\n).

Ruby

• Avoid %q, %Q, %x, %s, and %W.
• Avoid conditional modifiers (lines that end with conditionals).
• Avoid hashes as optional parameters. Does the method do too much?
• Avoid including code and gems in source control that are specific to your development machine or process. Examples: .rvmrcs, file watchers, debuggers.
• Avoid meta-programming.
• Avoid monkey-patching core classes.
• Avoid return unless required.
• Avoid superfluous parentheses when calling methods, but keep them when you assign the return value. x = Math.sin(y) array.delete e
• Avoid ternary operators (boolean ? true : false). Use multi-line if instead to emphasize code branches.
• Don't use unless with else.
• Prefer map over collect and reduce over inject due to symmetry and familarity with mapping and reducing in other technologies.
• Prefer detect over find and find_all over select to avoid confusion with ActiveRecord and keep select/reject symmetry.
• Use _ for unused block parameters. hash.map { |_, v| v + 1 }
• Use %() for single-line strings needing interpolation and double-quotes.
• Use %w() over ['', ''] for an array of words.
• Use && and || for boolean expressions.
• Use ||= freely.
• Use {...} over do..end for single-line blocks.
• Use ! suffix for dangerous methods (modifies self).
• Use ? suffix for predicate methods (return a boolean).
• Use CamelCase for classes and modules, snake_case for variables and methods, SCREAMING_SNAKE_CASE for constants.
• Use def with parentheses when there are arguments.
• Use do..end over {...} for multi-line blocks.
• Use heredocs for multi-line strings.
• Use /(?:first|second)/ over /(first|second)/ when you don't need the captured group.
• Use private over protected to indicate scope.
• Use def self.method over def Class.method or class << self.
• Use Set over Array for arrays with unique elements. The lookup is faster.
• Use single-quotes for strings unless variable interpolation is required.
• Use unless boolean? instead of if !boolean?.
• Use Factory Girl for setting up complicated test data.

Rails

• Aim for skinny models and skinny controllers.
• Avoid the :except option in routes.
• Avoid member and collection routes.
• Avoid Single Table Inheritance.
• Consider extracting private methods to their own object.
• Deploy to Heroku.
• Don't invoke a model's class directly from a view.
• Don't use SQL or SQL fragments (where('inviter_id is not null')) outside of models.
• Set config.action_mailer.raise_delivery_errors = true in the development environment.
• Initialize code in config/initializers.
• Keep the db/schema.rb under version control.
• Limit database defaults to counter caches and booleans.
• Limit the number of instance variables shared between controller and view.
• Name initializers for their gem name. Example: paperclip.rb
• Order controller contents: filters, public methods, private methods.
• Order model contents: constants, attributes, associations, nested attributes, named scopes, validations, callbacks, public methods, private methods.
• Prefer classes to modules when designing functionality that is shared by multiple models.
• Prefer gems over plugins.
• Prefer presenters (Ruby objects responsible for presentation) over view helpers.
• Put all copy text in models, views, controllers, and mailers in config/locales.
• Set config.action_mailer.delivery_method = :test in the test environment.
• Use _path over _url for named routes everywhere except mailer views.
• Use def self.method over the named_scope :method DSL.
• Use Foreman to run Rails apps in development mode.
• Use I18n.t 'dot.separated.key' over I18n.t :key, :scope => [:dot, :separated].
• Use Haml over ERb.
• Use has_and_belongs_to_many if all you need is a join table. Start simple.
• Use namespaced locale lookup in the views by prefixing a period: t '.title'.
• Use nested routes to express belongs_to relationships between resources.
• Use one ActionMailer for the app. Name it Mailer.
• Use single recipient SMTP in the staging environment.
• Use the default render 'partial' syntax over render :partial => 'partial'.
• Use the :only option to explicitly state exposed routes.

Testing

• Avoid its, specify, subject, and other DSLs. Prefer explicitness and consistency.
• Disable real HTTP requests to external services.
• Don't prefix it blocks with 'should'.
• Prefix context blocks names with 'given' when receiving input. Prefix with 'when' in most other cases.
• Name outer describe blocks after the method under test. Use self.method for class methods and method for instance methods. This matches the method definition itself.
• Run specs with --format documentation.
• Stub requests to external services.
• Use a context block for each execution path through the method.
• Use before blocks to clearly define the 'setup' phase of the Four Phase Test.
• Use integration tests to execute the entire app.
• Use one expectation per it block.
• Use stubs and spies (not mocks) to isolate unit tests as much as possible.