Code snippets are free chunks of code that can be used by any developer to add certain features, functionalities, or styles to a project. Code snippets are typically open source, meaning anyone can not only use them, but also change or customize them for their own uses. If you’ve used code snippets before, then you’re probably familiar with the general concept and how they work, but you also may have wondered what it takes to create your own snippets.
If you’re thinking of creating your own snippets, keep in mind these guidelines:
- Make sure your code is clean, properly formatted, and thoroughly commented through. Since other people are going to be using it, it’s important that they understand the reasoning behind your code.
- If you’re going to offer the files for download, a good idea is to separate your stylesheet, your scripts, and your HTML into two separate files and compress the entire thing. You may even want to put your stylesheet and scripts in their own directories. This tip is particularly relevant for snippets involving lots of code or many different scripts.
- When you create a snippet that was inspired by the snippet or the project of another developer or inspired from a website you saw, be sure to give the original idea credit.
- Be creative! There are probably tens of thousands of snippets out there, and if you want yours to stand out from the crowd, you should make sure that the snippets you release are either really creative and unique, really useful, or a mixture of both.
Keep all those guidelines in mind and you’re sure to create code snippets worthy of use by other developers. Keep in mind that while of course it is an option to release your snippets on your own personal site or blog, it also might be a good idea to publish your snippets to a popular repository, like CodePen, where it may be more likely to get noticed — just don’t forget to link back to your own personal site.