Coding Conventions

Indentation

• DO NOT USE TABS. Set your editor to use spaces instead

• Use two spaces per indentation level

• Use K&R Variant: 1TBS style indentation with same line braces on method and class openings (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indent_style#K.26R_style)

• Either add a comment to empty scopes, or close them immediately after the opening

• Key Examples:

    // while commenting, leave a space between the slashes and the comment
    int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
  
    // note the lack of space between main and the following brace
  
    // note the lack of space between brace and internal item
  
    // note the space after a comma inside the braces
  
    // note the space between the closing brace and the opening curly bracket
  
      while (x == y) {
        something(); // note the lack of space between method name and braces
        // add one empty line before a conditional statement or loop
        if (x < 0) { // note the spacing
          puts("Negative");
          negative(x);
        } else if { // add braces even if condition is single lined
          puts("Non-negative"); // note the spacing
        } else {
          // to do
        }
      }
      finalthing();
    }
  

New Files

• Add your name to any file you create in the very first line in the following format

  Copyright (C) 2011, First Last <[email protected]>

• Leave a space after your name and then use opening PHP tag

• Do not tab or add spaces before a class name

• DO NOT close PHP tag at the end of a file

Class Names

• Try to use single word class names
• Do not use underscores
• Begin new words with uppercases

Class Visibility

• For any class that will be called in a lower-bound hierarchy, set visibility to Protected
• For any class that will be called inside a module, set visibility of Private

Commenting

• Limit comments to as few words as possible
• Only add comments that describe a function

Locally Scoped

Class Variables

• Use descriptive names
• Do not use single character names such as 'i' or 'n';
• Do not use names that could be used again in the same scope, like 'num' or 'name'
• Do not begin variable names with an underscore
• Use underscores to separate multiple words, NOT camel casing

In-Function Variables

• Do not use variable names that could apply to the whole class

Parameter Variable

• add the letter 'i' in small case before any parameter to represent 'incoming'

  int myFunction(int iId, string iName) {}

Function Names

• Do not use upper case to begin function names
• Use upper case to start new words in function names, NOT underscores