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Ask Slashdot: Do Coding Standards Make a Difference?
An anonymous reader writes "Every shop I've ever worked in has had a 'Coding Style' document that dictates things like camelCase vs underscored_names, placement of curly braces, tabs vs spaces, etc. As a result, I've lost hundreds of hours in code reviews because some pedant was more interested in picking nits over whitespace than actually reviewing my algorithms. Are there any documents or studies that show a net productivity gain for having these sorts of standards? If not, why do we have them? We live in the future, why don't our tools enforce these standards automagically?"
...yes but not very much a all. Nothing beats clear thinking.
Need Mercedes parts ?
because when you leave\get fired\DIE, everyone can read your code and not have to interpret it, thus productivity gained.
I find it impossible to believe that anyone has actually lost hundreds of hours in reviews due to style, unless they were purposely not following what are usually pretty simple guidelines.
The differences between one style and another are meaningless, but the value of having a consistent style across an entire codebase is, in my experience, enormous. If everyone can read your code as though it was their own, that does in fact save hundreds of hours of time across the team.
We live in the future, why don't our tools enforce these standards automagically?
Some do. As the developer it's your job to make sure it happens, however you do it.
As a result, I've lost hundreds of hours in code reviews because some pedant was more interested in picking nits over whitespace than actually reviewing my algorithms
Was the nit picker correct? That is, was he pointing out true variances from the standard? If so, the fastest way to appease him is to cram your ego and make the changes. If you're arguing about something that is clearly spelled out in the coding standard, then YOU are the one who is wasting time by arguing about it. If not, and the nit picker is just slinging shit, then call him out for wasting time in meetings.
Consistent naming is important. It lets you quickly call into libraries that other people have written without having to double check, "was that camel cased or underscored spaced?"
But nit-picking over whitespace is simply annoying. Any person who insists on that much compliance might be trying to compensate for lack of performance in more important areas.
I went to eat some animal crackers and the box said, "Do not eat if seal is broken." I opened the box and sure enough..
This guy thinks he's the shit programming wise and thus has to do his own thing. He's too good to be bound by the rules of everyone else. So he keeps fucking up and then crying about it.
His company should just can him.
I think designing and writing code is a form of art, and you wouldn't tell a painter how to to draw his strokes, or a writer to always write sentences in a well defined style.
Hahahahaha. When companies pay writers or artists to work on a shared piece they sure as hell mandate all those things.
Do you think all the artwork in a game has consistent style by some black magic? Hell no, all the artists are told what style to adhere to and they do. Same with writing. Same when artists collaborate. Would you want to read a book that randomly switched fonts and writing styles every few paragraphs?
If you want to do your own thing then fine but don't expect to do so on someone else's dime. They're paying you to work as part of a team, stop being a whinny immature child.