CSC/ECE 517 Summer 2008/wiki2 2 ar
Introduction
Background
Source Code
The source code is a set of computer instructions written mostly in ASCII text following some specific high level computer language syntaxes. They are human readable and need some special programs (Compilers and Interpreters) to convert it into machine languages. They actually represent the logic of the program.
Problems face by source code
- Organization of code - Organization of code is a difficult job. As amount and complexity increases it become harder to do that.
- Source code comprehension - Source code readability is actually associated with source code comprehension. It is foundation through which a developer make sense of source code. There are some other techniques/tools available that support program comprehension but nothing could match with batter readable source code.
- Complex computer language syntaxes - Some time computer languages design with complex notations, that make those languages very powerful but it also forces programmer to stop first to understand the language constructs then follow the actual program logic.
Naming conventions
Naming conventions is standard way of making names of things to embed additional information. This technique is very effectively used in normal life to remove irregularities. Numbering houses even and odd numbers across street to represent there direction on the road is an example of simple naming conventions.
In computer languages naming convention mostly represent rules for defining different identifiers in the program. Class names, variable names, and source file names are good examples of such rules. Good naming rules increase the source code comprehension. In some modern languages (Ruby and Ruby-on-Rails) these convention even also used as configuration information.
Benefits of standardize naming conventions
- Improve source code comprehension.
- Reduces the maintenance cost.
- Could be used as configuration information.
- Improves code readability.
- Could allow to embed metadata information with identifier names.
- Avoids the "naming collisions".
- Reduces the requirement of program documentation
Factors effecting naming conventions
General Naming conventions
Hungarian notations
Positional Notations
Composite word scheme
Language Specific Naming Conventions
Java
Ruby
Tools
Conclusion
Links
Coding conventions for languages
- ActionScript(Flex): Flex SDK coding conventions and best practices
- C++: C++ Programming/Code Style
- C++: GeoSoft's C++ Programming Style Guidelines
- C#: Coding Standard: C# (Philips Medical Systems)
- D: The D Style
- Erlang: Erlang Programming Rules and Conventions
- Java: Sun official Java coding style
- Lisp: Riastradh's Lisp Style Rules
- Mono: Programming style for Mono
- Perl: Perl Style Guide
- PHP::PEAR: PHP::PEAR Coding Standards
- Python: Style Guide for Python Code