Coding standards a set of conventions and practices used in software, such as naming classes, variables, and files.
371
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17answers
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Where did the notion of “one return only” come from?
I often talk to Java programmers who say "Don't put multiple return statements in the same method." When I ask them to tell me the reasons why, all I get is "The coding standard says so." or "It's ...
162
votes
7answers
21k views
Why is 80 characters the 'standard' limit for code width?
Why is 80 characters the "standard" limit for code width? Why 80 and not 79, 81 or 100? What is the origin of this particular value?
93
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18answers
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Can a function be too short?
Whenever I find myself writing the same logic more than once, I usually stick it in a function so there is only one place in my application I have to maintain that logic. A side effect is that I ...
72
votes
56answers
10k views
Worst coding standard you've ever had to follow? [closed]
Have you ever had to work to coding standards that:
Greatly decreased your productivity?
Were originally included for good reasons but were kept long after the original concern became irrelevant?
...
68
votes
17answers
13k views
What is the benefit of not using Hungarian notation?
One of the things I struggle with is not using Hungarian notation. I don't want to have to go to the variable definition just to see what type it is. When a project gets extensive, it's nice to be ...
62
votes
12answers
2k views
Is there a point to including a “change log” in every code file when you are using version control?
I was under the impression that a version control system eliminated the need to have "change logs" plastered everywhere in the code. I've often seen the continued use of change logs, including big ...
59
votes
19answers
10k views
How important is it to reduce the number of lines in code?
I am a Software developer who works on J2SE (core java).
Often during our code reviews we are asked to reduce the number of lines in our code.
It's not about removing redundant code, it's about ...
58
votes
17answers
3k views
Recommendations for teaching junior programmers good coding style
I am a big fan of good coding style, producing clean, clear code that runs well and is easy to use and integrate into larger systems. I believe that we programmers are essentially craftspeople who ...
57
votes
13answers
11k views
Do I need to use an interface when only one class will ever implement it?
Isn't the whole point of an interface to for multiple classes to adhere to a set of rules and implementations?
54
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24answers
3k views
Is writing comments inside methods not a good practice?
A friend told me that writing comments inside methods is not good. He said that we should have comments only for the method definitions(javadocs) but not inside the method body. It seems he read in a ...
52
votes
17answers
3k views
Are first person comments distracting and unprofessional?
I just found myself writing the following comment in some (archaic Visual Basic 6.0) code I was writing:
If WindowState <> 1 Then
'The form's not minimized, so we can resize it safely
...
50
votes
14answers
5k views
Why do most of us use 'i' as a loop counter variable?
Has anyone thought about why so many of us repeat this same pattern using the same variable names?
for (int i = 0; i < foo; i++) {
// ...
}
It seems most code I've ever looked at uses i, j, ...
50
votes
20answers
3k views
Using single characters for variable names in loops/exceptions
I've had a couple of discussions with a co-worker about the use of single letter variable names in certain circumstances inside our codebase, at which we both disagree.
He favours more verbose naming ...
47
votes
16answers
4k views
Is it wrong to use a boolean parameter to determine behavior?
I have seen a practice from time to time that "feels" wrong, but I can't quite articulate what is wrong about it. Or maybe it's just my prejudice. Here goes:
A developer defines a method with a ...
46
votes
15answers
3k views
Working on someone else's code
I have hardly a year's experience in coding. After I started working, most of the time I would be working on someone else's code. Either adding new features over the existing ones or modifying the ...
