Why Coding Standards are Essential for Software Developers?

09 Feb 2023

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The importance of coding standards

Do you have a set of rules in your household that must be followed? Rules can vary from household to household, such as whether shoes should be removed before entering the house or how often chores should be performed. When visiting a friend, you might find that they don’t have any rules, which can be confusing to constantly adjust to. In coding, coding standards provide a set of guidelines for software developers to follow when programming. These standards ensure that the code is styled consistently and is readable. Coding standards are essential for the quality of the code, especially when working with other developers. Although code may still run without fully complying with the standards, debugging can become a challenging task.

Reflection on ESLint

The use of ESLint is comparable to the relationship between a parent and child. I appreciate that ESLint scans through the code and highlights errors and warnings, but fixing all the warnings can be time-consuming. I often find that I spend twice as much time fixing the warnings as I do coding the actual functionality. However, when considering the long-term benefits, I would advise following the coding guidelines to maintain high-quality code that can be easily modified. Following these rules not only results in writing better code, but it also saves debugging time in the long run.

Summary

In conclusion, the use of coding standards such as ESLint is essential for the quality and maintainability of code. Just as different households have different sets of rules, coding standards provide a set of guidelines for programmers to follow. Although following these standards may take more time, it leads to more organized and efficient code, as well as a smoother debugging process. Complying to these standards also makes collaboration with other developers easier.