Quality Code Has Standards
23 Sep 2020Be Professional
Establishing clear guidelines is an essential part of any professional environment. Guidelines bring flow, principles, and structure to work environments. For proper software engineers, coding standards are the guidelines that constitute quality programming; they are absolute and to be followed. Some may scoff at having to fix seemingly trivial indentation issues or naming conventions. In reality, abiding by coding standards ensures that your code is readable, maintainable, and professional.
Do It For Others!
Being organized is one of the key principles I abide by. I will gladly apply coding standards to my program if it means my code will be organized. I find comfort in the fact that my programs share a consistent, professional format and that my code flows harmoniously. This sense of uniformity also extends to the broader range of programmers. When programmers of a certain language share the same consistencies in their code, it makes it so their code is presentable and easily understood. Code that is easily understood is also easily maintained and used by others. When programmers apply coding standards, they increase the productivity of their circles.
What Do The Squiggles Mean?
Using ESLint with IntelliJ feels like grammar checking my code. It informs me whether my code is structured neatly, if I’m using the right assignments, or if I have unnecessary lines. I’m not annoyed at the sight of a red squiggle, rather I feel somewhat relieved; it points me to my errors and helps me fix them. The green checkmark at the end reassures me that my code is of acceptable quality. Using the AirBnB style guide, I have developed good practices in coding. For example, I have started using const which lets me and others know that the variable won’t be reassigned. Coding standards aren’t meant to punish you, they are meant to help you understand functionality in code and enforce good practices. I hope by following these standards I can ensure my programs feel professional. Developing these standards now will make me an effective contributor in future workspaces.
