Importance Of Coding Standards
Programming Help for Beginners
Importance of Coding Standards
We write programs to instruct
computers. When programming using a high level programming language
like C++ or Java, we are using a syntax that is somewhat closer to
human languages. However, we use these programs as inputs to either
compilers or interpreters to be converted to computer understandable
binary format. For this reason, as far as the program code adheres to
the syntax of the used programming languages, the compilers and
interpreters never bother about the layout or visual formatting of
the program code. However, as human programmers, we ourselves need to
bother about the aesthetics of the program code.
What is a Coding Standard?
A coding standard is a set of guidelines, rules and regulations on how
to write code. Usually a coding standard includes guide lines on how
to name variables, how to indent the code, how to place parenthesis
and keywords etc. The idea is to be consistent in programming so
that, in case of multiple people working on the same code, it becomes
easier for one to understand what others have done. Even for
individual programmers, and especially for beginners, it becomes very
important to adhere to a standard when writing the code. The idea is,
when we look at our own code after some time, if we have followed a
coding standard, it takes less time to understand or remember what we
meant when we wrote some piece of code.
Coding Standards Make a Difference
Look at the following example:
int volume(int i, int j, int k) {
int vol;
vol = i * j * k;
return vol;
}
Looking at this code at a glance, it takes some time
for one to understand that this function calculates the volume. However
if we adhere to a naming convention for variables and method names,
we could make the code more readable.
Here are few sample conventions:
- use meaningful variable names
- use verbs in method names
- use nouns for variables
- use 4 spaces to indent
int calculateVolume(int height, int width, int length) {
int volume = 0;
volume = height * width * length;
return volume;
}
It takes more time to type this code, however this saves far more time. This code is far more readable
than its original version. With a little bit of effort, we could make the code much more understandable.
The Benefits
It is not only the readability that we get through a coding standard in programming.
Writing more secure code could also be encouraged through a coding
convention. As an example, in C++ we could say that each pointer
variable must be initialized to NULL.
char* myName = NULL;
This ensures that we would not corrupt memory while
using this pointer variable.
Code readability is just one of the aspects of maintainability. Coding standards help a great deal
with program maintainability, our ability to change programs with
ease. Consistency imposed through a coding standard is a key factor
to achieve success in maintaining prorams.
Defining Your Own Coding Standard
A programmer can define his or her own coding convention and adhere to that in writing
programms. However there are many coding conventions available on
the Internet. Those who program in Java should have a look into
Code Conventions for the Java Programming Language by Sun.
For
C++ coding standards, I would recommend that you have a look into
C++ Coding Standards from BBC.
C++ Programming HOWTO
has some C++ Coding Conventions and also a bunch of links that lead
to several coding standards that you can pick from.
About the Author
John Dirk
Programming Consulant
http://www.programminghelp4u.com/ - Programming ( Assignment / Project ) Help