Code style guidelines
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For everybody else's sanity, please just use something that resembles the Linux Kernel code style, with the exception that cases in switch statements are indented a level. Much of the already existing code is somewhat weird looking and breaks the current code guidelines, do not try to replicate that. Use your best judgement for C++-specific syntax.
Spaces
- Do not use spaces for indentation.
- Try to stay under 6 levels of indentation.
- Do add spaces between operators so they line up when appropriate (don't go overboard). For example:
np_terrain_base = settings->getNoiseParams("mgv6_np_terrain_base"); np_terrain_higher = settings->getNoiseParams("mgv6_np_terrain_higher"); np_steepness = settings->getNoiseParams("mgv6_np_steepness"); np_height_select = settings->getNoiseParams("mgv6_np_height_select"); ... bool success = np_terrain_base && np_terrain_higher && np_steepness && np_height_select && np_trees && np_mud && np_beach && np_biome && np_cave;
The above code looks really nice.
- Separate different parts of functions with newlines for readability.
- Separate functions by two newlines (not necessary, but encouraged).
Don not be too C++y
- Don't use references when they're not necessary. They are rather inflexible and can be misleading.
- Don't use initializer lists unless absolutely necessary (initializing an object inside a class, or initializing a reference).
- Try to avoid operator overloading.
- Avoid iterators like the plague.
- Avoid templates unless they are very convenient.
Classes
- Don't put actual code in header files, unless it's a 3-liner or an inline function.
- Class definitions should go in header files.
- Substantial (over 4 lines) methods are defined outside of the class definition.
- Class names are PascalCase, method names are camelCase.
- Functions not part of any class should be
unix_lowercase_underscore_style()
.
Comments
- Don't make uninformative comments like this:
/* Draw "Loading" screen */ draw_load_screen(L"Loading...", driver, font);
- Add comments to explain a non-trivial but important detail about the code, or explain behavior that is not obvious.
Use STL, avoid Irrlicht containers
Don't let things get too large
- Try to keep lines under 80 characters. It's okay if it goes over by a few, but 90 character lines or larger are definitely unacceptable.
- Functions should not have over 200 lines of code - if you are concerned with having to pass too many parameters to child functions, make whatever it is into a class.
- Don't let files get too large (over 1500 lines of code).
- Currently existing huge files (game.cpp, server.cpp, etc.) are in the slow process of being cleaned up.