This page contains our coding style guidelines. While we make every attempt to follow these, sometimes we don’t.

General Presentation

• Four space indenting, no tabs.
• Header guards follows the _DIR_FILENAME_EXT convention – _VFS_VFILE_H for vfs/vfile.h
• Indent #ifdef/#ifndef etc the same as regular code. That is, like normal if/else statements.
• Try to refrain from defining more than one variable per line. Parameters are the exception.
• When declaring references or pointers, put *,& next to the type, not the variable.

  int x = 42;
  int& y = x;
  int* z = &x;

• Where applicable, start the file with a comment explaining the contents. For headers, place it right after the header guards.

  //
  // Implements various Westwood format decoders
  //

• For big files, seperate sparingly with headers or simple splitters.

  //--------------------------------------------------------
  // UnitType
  //--------------------------------------------------------
   
  UnitType::UnitType()
  {
      ...
  }
   
  UnitType::~UnitType()
  {
      ...
  }
   
  //--------------------------------------------------------
   
  UnitType::move()
  {
     ...
  }

• In cases where it makes sense, try to keep 80 chars per line.
• C++ style comments should be used for 1 liners. Never use /**/ for single line comments.
• Use PascalCasing for classes, functions enums, and namespaces.

  enum Foo { TEST };
  class FooBar;
  void FooBar(int x);

• Use ALL_UPPER_CASE for defines, enums values and macros (and dont use macros).

  #define VERSION "0.3.0"
  enum {
      RED,
      GREEN,
      BLUE
  };

• Use underscores for words in variables.

  int foo_bar;

• Curly braces go on their own lines for namespaces, classes, functions, and on the same line for control-flow statements.

  class Foo
  {
      ....
  }
   
  if (foo) {
      ...
  } else {
      ...
  }

• Always use curly braces for control-flow statements that span several statements.

  GOOD:
       if (true) cout << ..;
  GOOD:
      if (true) {
          cout <<...;
      }
  BAD:
      if (true)
          cout <<...;

• Simple functions, e.g. return 42, may be kept on a single line.

  int Foo() { return 42; }

• Templates go on their own line.

  template <typename T>
  void Foo(T x);

Classes and structs

• Use struct only when the object is entirely public, e.g. a stateless functor, or pure data.
• Protection level is indented at the same level as the class. Also keep an empty line between different protection levels.
• Organise the class in the order of public, protected, private.
• Initializer lists go on their own lines, with the : and one indent level.
• Inheritance goes on the same line as the class name.
• For small inline methods, keeping them in the class definition is okay. For big inline methods however, define them below the class itself, in the header.

class Test : Parent
{
public:
    int public_var;
 
    Test();
    Test(const Test& test);
    ~Test();
 
    Test& operator=(const Test& rhs) { return *this; }
 
    void do_stuff();
 
private:
    Obj a;
    Obj b;
};
 
Test::Test()
    : a(42), b(60)
{
    ....
}