Coding Standards

11 Feb 2021

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Why Standards

Standards are essential to have in many aspects of life, from business to projects. It allows for clarity and ensures that everyone is on the same page. It isn’t much different in the coding world. Coding standards are a common coding style that ensures clarity in the code, making it much more readable. The importance of having readable code is an entirely different story for another time, but essentially readable code makes it feasible for other programmers to deal with your code (whether it be updating your code, fixing errors, etc.). The best part of it all is that it’s very simple to follow a coding standard. Thankfully, there are so many resources out there that can help us with almost any problem, including coding. There are many various programs and tools out there that can enforce coding standards within code.

My Experience

I’ve recently been using ESLint and IntelliJ IDEA to write code that follows the specific standard. Not only does it help to make my code more readable for others, but it makes it easier for me as well. Having and following a coding standard makes me feel like the code is more organized, and I think being organized helps with my overall thought process. When errors within my code are flagged within IntelliJ IDEA with the help of ESLint, I can quickly figure out what the error is precisely and am even given recommendations on how to solve the error. It’s beneficial to have software that essentially does the work to maintain a coding standard and make my life much easier. Seeing the green check-mark in the top right corner of my screen indicating that my code follows the coding standard gives me a feeling of relief. Without these programs, it can be easy to create code that is all over the place and unreadable. ESLint and IntelliJ IDEA has been a game-changer for me.

Key Takeaways

Ultimately, you can’t go wrong by following a coding standard. I don’t think there are any downsides to do so. It helps to keep your code organized, readable, and easy to maintain. One might argue that it’s challenging to keep up with coding standards, and it seems like just one extra thing to do. However, there are many tools out there that will enforce coding standards and even solve common problems within code with a click of a button. There’s really no excuse NOT to follow a coding standard. So if you’re anything like me and plan to pursue any type of coding as a career, make sure your code has standards! Just as though you have standards through other parts of your life, your code should have it as well!