Coding standards, or coding conventions, are sets of rules or guidelines designed to govern the process of code production in a software project. They're usually based on industry best practices or generally accepted conventions. They include naming conventions, style, prohibited features, and more.
-1
votes
0answers
74 views
Why is porting software hard? [on hold]
Porting code across platforms seems to be a tedious task. Even for software with a c++ codebase/software this seems to a problem. Isn't it merely binding different compilers specific to OSes in the ...
9
votes
5answers
337 views
Is scientific code a different enough realm to ignore common coding standards?
Lately I've been trying to wrap my mind about the following fact.
On one hand, there is a host of coding guidelines and standards for what is considered to be "healthy", "clean", "well-written" and ...
4
votes
3answers
299 views
Are for loops allowed in the “Clean Code” set of rules?
Given the set of rules explained in "Clean Code", can one really use for loops? My confusion stems form the fact that a for loop is a low-level construct per se, thus it can only be used at the very ...
1
vote
1answer
136 views
In C, are large 'pointer chains' bad for performance or code cleanliness?
The following for example:
i = readString(&packet->data.play_server.updatesign.line1, pbuf, ps);
It has a large amount of nested structs/unions. Is this generally frowned upon in code ...
1
vote
3answers
179 views
Is it considered good practice to always have methods return a value?
Sorry for the terrible title but hopefully these snippets will give you the gist.
Method 1:
class Person:
def __init__(self, name):
self.name = name
def set_name(self, new_name):
...
3
votes
3answers
170 views
Would dependency injecting into entites be considered against SRP?
I asking a question on Stackoverflow earlier and someone pointed me to a previous post of his, He states that injecting a dependency into an entity violates the Single Responsibility Principle.
To ...
0
votes
1answer
107 views
Is it worth it to follow code conventions of Netbeans? [closed]
I am always not able to follow Netbeans default coding conventions like the following
Function should be N lines only
Method Length is N Lines (M allowed)
Warning: Do not Access Superglobal ...
41
votes
8answers
4k views
When is it appropriate to make a separate function when there will only ever be a single call to said function? [duplicate]
We are designing coding standards, and are having disagreements as to if it is ever appropriate to break code out into separate functions within a class, when those functions will only ever be called ...
1
vote
2answers
191 views
How to deal with Classes having the same name (different packages)
My R&D team have Java packages containing classes with the same name. For instance:
com.myapp.model
Device
...
com.myapp.data
Device
...
We had a discussion, the names conflict when both ...
1
vote
3answers
175 views
The best practice for passing formatted string to methods
Though it might be trivial for someone, I find it a little inconvenient when someone formats the string while passing it as a parameter to a method. For e.g.
AddMessage( string.Format("{0} (" + ...
1
vote
0answers
121 views
Can this be used to implement Post Redirect Get pattern?
I am trying to implement proper a Post Redirect Get on a PHP site (question is language agnostic in nature however). I thought about it, and realized that running this code on every request seems to ...
20
votes
8answers
3k views
At what point is it taboo to have loops within loops?
Just curious. The most I have ever had was a for loop within a for loop, because after reading this from Linus Torvalds:
Tabs are 8 characters, and thus indentations are also 8 characters.
There ...
0
votes
3answers
176 views
Best practices in exposing interface
Let's assume I have a class that downloads data from API, cleans it and saves to database. What methods should I expose?
class ApiConnector1
{
public string GetDataFromApi()
{
// ...
...
1
vote
1answer
121 views
Sorting Array before looping : best practice
I was going through JBAKE code at
https://github.com/jbake-org/jbake/blob/master/src/main/java/org/jbake/app/Asset.java : 58
PFB the code.
Why are we sorting the array here?
if (assets != ...
37
votes
9answers
3k views
Using compound statements (“{” … “}” blocks) to enforce variable locality [duplicate]
Introduction
Many "C-like" programming languages use compound statements (code blocks specified with "{" and "}") to define a variables scope.
Here is a simple example.
for (int i = 0; i < 100; ...
0
votes
1answer
77 views
Should http requests be in the constructor or in a static function? [closed]
Which is conventional? For example, this is in the constructor:
public class Foo {
...
public Foo(...) {
// http requests
}
...
}
and this is in the static method:
public class Foo ...
62
votes
6answers
8k views
Why is the minus sign, '-', generally not overloaded in the same way as the plus sign?
The plus sign + is used for addition and for string concatenation, but its companion: the minus sign, -, is generally not seen for trimming of strings or some other case other than subtraction. What ...
0
votes
4answers
233 views
Where to put try-catch statements [closed]
I have the following code statement that calls a separate class.
if (newOrEdit.Equals("New"))
{
try
{
BusinessLayer.InsertOperator(operatorDetails);
}
catch (Exception)
{
...
57
votes
5answers
5k views
Why would you not use the 'using' directive in C#?
The existing coding standards on a large C# project includes a rule that all type names be fully qualified, forbidding employment of the 'using' directive. So, rather than the familiar:
using ...
3
votes
0answers
143 views
Is it okay to write C code that must be compiled with -fno-strict-aliasing? [closed]
Some major C projects violate the strict aliasing rules in the C standard and must be compiled with -fno-strict-aliasing. These include Python, OCaml and the Linux kernel.
Obviously this is not ...
2
votes
2answers
252 views
Using a private auto-implemented property vs. a private field
If I have a need for simple, private fields, is there any reason I shouldn't just make it a convention to use private, auto-implemented properties instead?
For instance, I could do this:
private ...
4
votes
3answers
302 views
non-optional pointers vs. non-const references in C++
In Other C++ Features, Reference Arguments of the Google C++ Style Guide, I read that non-const references must not be used.
All parameters passed by reference must be labeled const.
It is clear ...
1
vote
2answers
154 views
Performance concern in object oriented languages [duplicate]
I recently moved into web development using ASP.NET MVC. The language I use is C#. Having considerable experience in C makes me look for optimized coding standards (memory, efficient data structures ...
2
votes
0answers
58 views
Standard for order of tags in PHP DocBlocks?
Based on the tags listed from this "standard", is there an order of the tags that people typically follow? Even if it's not something that has been entirely accepted, but something proposed? I am ...
16
votes
7answers
1k views
Writing comments for some small code with rather large background [duplicate]
So I had to write some code related to splitting Bezier curves into parts. I read through several references and particularly referred this rather detailed one.
The final code outcome is however ...
1
vote
1answer
64 views
When should I use static functions and when should I use non-static ones? [closed]
Sometimes, when I'm programming, I have to decide between adding a static method to a class that accepts an instance (or more) of that class or adding a non-static method. Here's an example:
Static
...
0
votes
0answers
58 views
How To Better Manage Expectations on Iterations in Software Dev [duplicate]
This question is inspired by a current problem I having with a client I am consulting through.
A few months ago we were working on a project for a big construction firm. I was working on an hourly ...
1
vote
1answer
151 views
Lines of code that take on too much responsibility [closed]
Intuitively, I know that (in terms of a maintainable, understandable codebase) the following code is bad practice
var foo = fooFunc(barFunc(),wooFunc(chewFunc()));
and might be better stated as
...
-2
votes
2answers
128 views
How to reference one object with two interfaces? [duplicate]
Suppose I have two interfaces I and J that is implemented by Test class. Now I need one object of class Test that is referenced by I and J both interfaces. I can do it by singleton design pattern. But ...
1
vote
1answer
285 views
Is writing code chronologically the best way for readability? [closed]
So I've been writing a lot of JavaScript lately. Despite what many people say I think JavaScript can be a simple and beautiful language.
What I've pondered of late is how to structure the code so it ...
8
votes
2answers
232 views
Do we need to validate entire module usage or just arguments of public methods?
I've heard that it is recommended to validate arguments of public methods:
Should one check for null if he does not expect null?
Should a method validate its parameters?
MSDN - CA1062: Validate ...
6
votes
3answers
967 views
Is there a standard way to indicate that a function returns a new pointer?
Sometimes I want to delegate the construction of objects that a class owns to a separate function. Something like
Vertex* new_vertex(const Options& options) {
// do stuff...
return new ...
-3
votes
2answers
175 views
In HTML and CSS what are the standard tab sizes? [closed]
I searched on Google but couldn't find an answer. I'd like to know what are the standard tab sizes for HTML and CSS. Is it 2 or 4?
-3
votes
1answer
186 views
Java - Best way to set properties of an object [closed]
I don't know if there is any difference in performance, or its just a matter of choice, but I am a perfectionist like that, and I'd like to know.
Lets say you have the object HolySheet. You can set ...
1
vote
2answers
108 views
Naming convention for getting the primitive backing a type? [closed]
I have a class that is backed by a double value, and I am wondering about accessor method names that preserve abstraction. Based on my experience in Java, there seems to be at least two precedents:
...
3
votes
1answer
54 views
Modern frameworks method conventions
I've been noticing that modern frameworks tend to have this kind of code style:
expect(6 - 4).toBe(2)
this can be rephrased as: assert(6-4, 2)
Yet the former is much more readable.
I would like to ...
-1
votes
2answers
86 views
If I #include a file, do I need to have a valid path to any headers #included in the included file [closed]
For example, if I have created a library, libcommon, which uses some other custom, but widely used library in a specific field (some_other), like this:
libcommon.h
#ifndef LIBCOMMON_H
#define ...
0
votes
0answers
36 views
Defensive Programming - “Return” placement [duplicate]
Sometimes I see myself writing code in the following way:
if(value == null) return null;
//... I will have here as many defensive conditions (and returns) as I need
//... Continue to execute method ...
1
vote
1answer
255 views
Is it good programming practice to create files with no extension? [closed]
I often store data in external files when Python coding.
Should I always save them with an extension - i.e. .txt?
Is there any reason not to (other than saving bytes) to not give the extension? I ...
7
votes
4answers
1k views
Is the use of one-letter variables encouraged? [closed]
Is the use of one-letter variables encouraged in Java? In code snippets or tutorials, you often see them. I cannot imagine using them is encouraged because it makes the code relatively harder to read ...
1
vote
4answers
106 views
Use the company style guide or try to match the incorrect source files? [duplicate]
I'm currently working on a large project in C++. The style guide for this language has been well defined by my company and is available for everyone to see. This particular code-base is being ...
-1
votes
2answers
146 views
Getters with data conversion in Java VOs [closed]
I am working on a standard Spring application where DAO layer returns entities to service layer and service layer returns VOs to other services and controllers.
In a certain scenario, we have a VO ...
1
vote
1answer
223 views
How bad is it that my index.php in a Zend Framework MVC application mixes definitions and side effects?
I'm introducing some more coding quality standards and checks via a new project - in particular, the PHP-FIG recommendations.
This project using Zend Framework 2, and I have a fairly simple entry ...
0
votes
3answers
92 views
Handling source code table alignment
Sometimes there is need to have tables (big or small) in source code.
ItemType const SomeTable[] = {
// id name min max
ITEM( 3, "Foo", 70, 180),
ITEM(13, "Bar", 30, 50),
...
1
vote
1answer
91 views
Objective-c anonymous property coding style
If I have an interface defined like
@interface MyClass
@property (nonatomic, copy, readonly) NSString *myString;
@end
so that myString is externally visible but can't be written, what would be ...
3
votes
3answers
449 views
No exceptions C++ and partially constructed objects
Looking over Joint Strike Fighter Air Vehicle C++ Coding Standard, rule AV 73 states something on the lines: Default c++ constructors should be avoided if that means leaving object in a partially ...
0
votes
2answers
52 views
SQL - for some attributes specific to different clients' users, how to handle schema?
I have clients, each of whom have an app with a bunch of users.
Their user data could be pretty different, but there is also a lot of overlap. Ex: all their users have "gender" and "age" and plenty ...
1
vote
3answers
203 views
Are project naming conventions more important than language naming conventions? [closed]
I'm working on a project with a senior developer and he doesn't really abide by the naming conventions of the language that we're using. The project is in Go and he uses underscores for everything. ...
0
votes
7answers
231 views
In ifs inside for loops, prefer checking for true, or for false and continue?
I'm discussing this with a work colleague.
Say we want to sum the numbers from 0 to 9 skipping 5.
He prefers this:
int sum = 0;
for(int i = 0; i < 10; ++i)
{
if(i == 5)
{
continue;
...
2
votes
1answer
276 views
Reducing the complexity of over-designed code
I have just started working at a company where I have inherited a C# codebase from a previous developer. I know programming well, have an engineering degree + an (unfinished, several year long) PhD ...
