Coding Standards - not blank!

In answer to the question: "Where did the blog post on coding standards go?". Much like the one ring it's still secret and it's still safe; I haven't finished writing it yet. I'm not sure why that blank post showed up but I think that I accidentally clicked the publish button before I started writing. It does work on symbolic level, though. The worst coding standard is the blank coding standard.

Every large team should have a coding standard that defines how that code should be formatted. These coding standards make code quicker and easier to read because the style is consistent and once you learn it your brain can work via pattern recognition - that is reading code by processing its shape not its content. It's the same sort of thing as the brain does when it comes to reading normal text. That's what makes "italics" and ALL CAPS more difficult to read. Your brain has to work harder because it can't just match shapes, it has to do some decoding first.

I don't agree with the theory that one coding standard is any better than the other. The most readable coding standard is the most familiar. K&R, BSD, or Gnome coding standard is easy to read because it's familiar. The only point I'd make is it would be nice if everyone used the same coding standard. Come to think of it, why aren't C-like languages defined in such a way that limits the different conventions possible.. Like the position of the {}? I suppose the original reason was that C was intended to provide a flexible toolkit for creating as many arguments as possible. Using C and its derivatives, it's possible to create lengthy discussions that go on for hours without conclusion. It's also possible to create bitter team divisions as the brain's legacy limbic system switches on and forms tribes around different ideals. Hallelujah! and Amen.

:-)