The measure will be naturally broken up into some rhythm. For example, a 4/4 measure might be divided 2+2; a 6/8 measure might be divided 2+2+2 or 3+3, depending on the feel. You should generally tie notes across the boundary of that rhythm.
Also generally speaking, a dotted note should start rather than end on a rhythmic division. For example, in a 4/4 measure, a dotted eighth can start on any of the 4 beats, but if it starts on the "and", it should be tied rather than crossing the beat.
There are always exceptions and everybody does things a little differently, but the goal should always be to make the rhythmic structure of the measure clear.
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