Code conventions and programming style

Coding conventions are rules that computer programmers follow to ensure that their source code is easy to read and maintain.

Why is that important?

Sun Microsystems provides the following rationale for the Java Programming Language:

Code conventions are important to programmers for a number of reasons:

• 80% of the lifetime cost of a piece of software goes to maintenance.
• Hardly any software is maintained for its whole life by the original author.
• Code conventions improve the readability of the software, allowing engineers to understand new code more quickly and thoroughly.
• If you ship your source code as a product, you need to make sure it is as well packaged and clean as any other product you create.

Crossbow Software has gather a set of code conventions and programming style documents, take a look at their Coding Style Standards download page.