Software coding standards - what, and why !!
Filed Under Document, Benefits, Coding, Techniques, Improvement, Development, Terms, Software | Posted on October 13, 2007
What is source code ?
Source code is what makes the application. It is source code that gets compiled and becomes the software application that you see. In computer science, source code (commonly just source or code) is any sequence of statements and/or declarations written in some human-readable computer programming language. A computer program’s source code is the collection of files needed to convert from human-readable form to some kind of computer-executable form. The source code may be converted into an executable file by a compiler, or executed on the fly from the human readable form with the aid of an interpreter. Source code is a vital component in the activity of porting software to alternative computer platforms. Without the source code for a particular piece of software, portability is generally very expensive.
What are software coding standards ?
A standard is a description of precise behaviors or actions that form a methodology. As applied to a coding standard, it will describe the form and style of code. Software coding standards are language-specific programming rules that greatly reduce the probability of introducing errors into your applications, regardless of which software development model (iterative, waterfall, eXtreme programming, and so on) is being used to create that application.
Why do we need software coding standards ?
Source code is living code. For most projects, the code will continue to be under development and will be passed from team to team. To ensure minimal transition time between one team and another when code is handed over, it makes sense to have code written in a certain way. This also ensures that if other teams such as QE and Documentation look at the code, they will be able to easily understand the code and the way that the application is structured. And to take a specific example, if a developer has written code in a project, and has to be on sick leave, any other member of the team taking over will find it easy to complete the work if the code is written as per a certain standard.
Some objectives:
* The use of these standards should result in readable code and should encourage adherence.
* The resulting documentation should be easy to maintain.
* In a team environment or group collaboration, coding standards ensure uniform coding practices
* Reduce time spent in code reviews
* When work is outsourced to a third-party contractor, having a set of coding standards in place ensures that the code produced by the contractor meets all quality guidelines mandated by the client company
* Allows developers to easily share code
* A well designed standard will also detail how certain code should be written, not just how it looks on screen
Leave a Reply
