Chapter 31. Layout and Style

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Contents

• Layout Fundamentals page 730

• Layout Techniques page 736

• Layout Styles page 738

• Laying Out Control Structures page 745

• Laying Out Individual Statements page 753

• Laying Out Comments page 763

• Laying Out Routines page 766

• Laying Out Classes page 768

Related Topics

• Self-documenting code: Chapter 32

• Code formatting tools: "Editing" in Section 30.2

This chapter turns to an aesthetic aspect of computer programming: the layout of program source code. The visual and intellectual enjoyment of well-formatted code is a pleasure that few nonprogrammers can appreciate. But programmers who take pride in their work derive great artistic satisfaction from polishing the visual structure of their code.

The techniques in this chapter don't affect execution speed, memory use, or other aspects of a program that are visible from outside the program. They affect how easy it is to understand the code, review it, and revise it months after you write it. They also affect how easy it is for others to read, understand, and modify once you're out of the picture.

This chapter is full of the picky details that people refer to when they talk about "attention to detail." Over the life of a project, attention to such details makes a difference in the initial quality and the ultimate maintainability of the code you write. Such details are too integral to the coding process to be changed effectively later. If they're to be done at all, they must be done during initial construction. If you're working on a team project, have your team read this chapter and agree on a team style before you begin coding.

You might not agree with everything you read here, but my point is less to win your agreement than to convince you to consider the issues involved in formatting style. If you have high blood pressure, move on to the next chapter it's less controversial.