Coding Standards

We all code to the exact same standards. We name our classes and methods the same way, we format code the same way. The particular standards aren’t as important as the principle: we all code the same way, which means that all the code is easily understandable and maintainable by all of us.

If anyone stumbles across a mistake where code doesn’t meet the standards, they just fix it.

Fundamentally, we follow the guidelines in Kent Beck’s book: Smalltalk Best Practice Patterns. Kent provides the rationale for the patterns, and our experience is that they work just fine.

On the contrary, I have a style of coding that I like and that I’m used to. I should be allowed to use it.

(Alistair Cockburn accused Kent and me of playing "Do it My Way or Get Out". Follow the above link for some discussion of that.)

© 1997, 1998, Ronald E Jeffries
ronjeffries@acm.org
http://www.xprogramming.com