Software Information |
Importance of Coding Standards
Programming Help for Beginners 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) { 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: int calculateVolume(int height, int width, int length) { 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 http://java.sun.com/docs/codeconv/html/CodeConvTOC.doc.html - Code Conventions for the Java Programming Language by Sun. For C++ coding standards, I would recommend that you have a look into http://www.bbc.co.uk/guidelines/webdev/AppB.Cpp_Coding_Standards.htm - C++ Coding Standards from BBC. http://oopweb.com/CPP/Documents/CPPHOWTO/Volume/C++Programming-HOWTO-14.html - 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. John Dirk
MORE RESOURCES: Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting |
RELATED ARTICLES
Microsoft Great Plains Food Processing - Implementation & Customization Highlights Microsoft Great Plains might be considered as ERP platform to build your own custom solution upon or as the assembly place for the existing modules. Microsoft Great Plains has Inventory Control (IV), Bill of Materials (BM), Manufacturing modules, coming from Microsoft Business Solutions directly, plus it has third party solutions, such as Horizon Light Manufacturing. Microsoft Great Plains POP: Purchase Order Processing - Overview For Consultants Great Plains Purchase Order Processing (POP) module makes up one-third of the core Great Plains Inventory and Order Processing group (the other two being Inventory Management and Sales Order Processing). POP seamlessly integrates with other Great Plains modules (GL, PM, FA, SOP, etc. Microsoft Great Plains SOP: Sales Order Processing Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains is marketed for mid-size companies as well as Navision (which has very good positions in Europe and emerging markets where it can be easily localized).Great Plains Sales Order Processing (SOP) module forms a third of the core Inventory and Order Processing part of Great Plains. How to Backup Windows XP Home Edition Your computer cost you from hundreds to thousands of dollars, but the computer itself is not the most valuable part. The data on the hard disk is the most valuable part. Lotus Notes Domino and Microsoft CRM Integration Well, even if the combination might look very unusual, we see the coexistence of these two systems, especially in large corporations, non-profit organizations. Technically Lotus Notes Domino has parallel structure, including Domino email server. Microsoft Great Plains Furniture & Fixtures - Implementation & Customization Highlights Microsoft Great Plains, former Great Plains Software Dynamics / eEnterprise was introduced in 1993 as first Microsoft Windows and Macintosh based graphical accounting/ERP application for Mid-Size businesses. Considering the history of furniture retailer and custom assembly lines - they showed up on the market about five decades ago and they have automated their business operations with Unix-based businesses in the late 1960th and earlier 1970th. Mapping Software: Putting Data Visualization on the Map Mapping Software Improves Data VisualizationFrom the outset, it is important to clarify exactly what mapping software is and what it has to do with data visualization. If you are looking for driving directions for your next road trip, this is not the article for you. Linux Secrets The first thing that you will notice about Linux Red Hat (using the Gnome Interface) is that it looks a lot like Windows 95/98/NT. But that's where the similarity ends. eStore Advantage - Extending Microsoft eConnect for MBS Great Plains eStore Advantage allows front-office applications to communicate with back-office business environments. It has a built-in support for electronic payment processing, and serves as a core integration platform for Nodus Technologies front-to-back office connectivity suites including RMS and CRM Advantage. Microsoft Great Plains & CRM in Transportation & Logistics - Overview Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains and MS CRM (client relation management system) are very popular in various industries and market niches. In previous article we described Microsoft Great Plains implementation for transportation & logistics company. Kick-Ass Performance For Your PC? Its Easy Is your PC is slow and wimpy? Then you need some PC steroids - software applications that will cleanse the registry, optimize RAM and make that puppy fly. Here is what you should start with. About Microsoft Sysprep (System Preparation) Utility (Windows 2000) The Microsoft system preparation utility for Windows 2000 is a very handy tool for network support shops that deploy PC images as a means of reformatting PC's with problems. Sysprep basically strips out all the hardware information and unique information from that specific PC, which allows you to deploy the image created from that PC on to many other PC's with different hardware configurations. netstat - Linux Command to Display Networking Information In linux, one of great commands for finding out information about your network connections is "netstat". It provides you interface information, statistics, connections, and a lot of other really great information about your computer. OSI Layers Model IntroductionDuring the early years of our modern computer era, very few standards and protocols existed between various manufacturers. However, as time went on and computer technology continued to improve and become more widespread, it became apparent that standards would be necessary to ensure compatibility. Microsoft Great Plains Implementation: Verticals - Wholesale Order Entry center - overview Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains has substantial market share and strong support by Microsoft on the US market. Currently we see the trend in the vertical markets when companies with custom-built accounting application, usually written on legacy platform are switching to standard and proven ERP solution and customize or tailor it to fit their vertical market requirements. 6 Easy Steps for a Smoother CD/DVD Order It's all about turn times in the eMedia industry! The speed with which your vendor can get your CD or DVD project completed is vital to many customers. However, responsibility for these projects meeting their completion dates starts with the customer and ends with the vendor. Basic Steps To Optimize Your Internet Security After seeing many people complain about their weak Internet security I decided to write down some things that will help you for your Internet security.First, here are some tips to make windows safer :For basic security and update patches install Service Pack 2 for Windows XP or Service Pack 4 for Windows 2000. ERP Software Financing: the Future? - Overview for Company Owner In our case - we serve Microsoft Business Solutions ERP and CRM products: Microsoft Great Plains, Microsoft CRM, Navision, Microsoft RMS, as well as we do customization and integration to these products. We would like to share with you our experience with financing through Microsoft Financial Corporation, the entity handling software financing for Great Plains, CRM, Solomon, Navision & Axapta. Microsoft Great Plains Multicurrency - Overview For Implementation Consultant When you first think about multicurrency - you probably have in mind the revaluation question. Currency triangulation - which was the need when European currencies were fixed to Euro is not an issue any more. What to Do if All Screensavers Fun is Grayed Out? Finally, you have some time to personalize your desktop with an interesting screensaver. But wait. |
home | site map | contact us |