The Psychology of Quality and More

C Style: Standards and Guidelines (contents)

CHAPTER 3 : General Principles

PART 1 : BASICS

CHAPTER 3 : General Principles

3.1 Keywords

3.2 Think of the reader

3.3 Keep it simple

3.4 Be explicit

3.5 Be consistent

3.6 Minimize scope

3.7 There's no one true style

3.8 A standard which isn't used, isn't a standard

3.9 Distinguish between standards and guidelines

3.10 Standards don't guarantee good coding

3.11 Decide on your portability quotient

3.12 Standards are a function of their audience

3.13 Keep project standards

3.14 Use standard libraries

3.15 Utilize available tools

3.16 Summary

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Before considering specific elements of coding style, it is useful to derive a set of general principles (largely from the previous two chapters) which may be used to guide the selection and use of coding standards.

These principles aim to embody the 'spirit' of coding standards, and can be used when deciding upon what and how to standardize. They may also be used as the 'glue' between explicit standards, guiding decisions on items which are not specifically mentioned in the final set of standards, and may be particularly important in a set of standards which aims to be especially brief.

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