STYLE(6)STYLE(6)
NAME
style – Plan 9 coding conventions for C
DESCRIPTION
Plan 9 C code has its own conventions. You would do well to follow them. Here are a few:
don’t use
avoid
no tabs expanded to spaces.
surround a binary operator (particular a low precedence one) with spaces; don’t try to write the most compact code possible but rather the most readable.
parenthesize expressions involving arithmetic and bit-wise operators; otherwise don’t parenthesize heavily (e.g., as in Pascal).
no white space before opening braces.
no white space after the keywords
no braces around single-line blocks (e.g.,
integer-valued functions return -1 on error, 0 or positive on success.
functions that return errors should set
variable and function names are all lowercase, with no underscores.
automatic variables (local variables inside a function) are never initialized at declaration.
follow the standard idioms: use
don’t write
Ultimately, the goal is to write code that fits in with the other code around it and the system as a whole. If the file you are editing already deviates from these guidelines, do what it does. After you edit a file, a reader should not be able to tell just from coding style which parts you worked on.
COMMENTS
If your code is readable, you shouldn’t need many comments. A line or two comment above a function explaining what it does is always welcome.
Comment any code you find yourself wondering about for more than 2 seconds, even if it’s to say that you don’t understand what’s going on. Explain why.
Don’t use commenting as an excuse for writing confusing code. Rewrite the code to make it clear.
EFFICIENCY
Do the simple thing. Don’t optimize unless you’ve measured the code and it is too slow. Fix the data structures and the algorithms instead of going for little 5% tunings.
SEE
“Notes on Programming in C”, Rob Pike,
BUGS
Some programs use very different styles, for example,
Some programs and programmers diverge from the above rules due to habits formed long before these rules. Notably, some programs have a single space after a keyword and before an opening brace, and some initialize automatic variables at declaration.