C++ Coding Standards

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C++ Coding Standards

Coding standard is very essential for readability and maitainence of programs. And it also greatly inproves the productivity of the programmer. The GNU C++ compiler must enforce coding discipline. The following is suggested - inside class definition:

• All public variables must begin with m like mFooVar. The m stands for member.
• All protected variables must begin with mt, like mtFooVar and methods with t, like tFooNum(). The t stands for protected.
• All private variables must begin with mv, like mvFooVar and methods with v, like vFooLone(). The v stands for private.
• All public, protected and private variables must begin with uppercase after m like F in mFooVar.
• All pointer variables must be prefixed with p, like
  • Public variables mpFooVar and methods like FooNum()
  • Protected variables mtpFooVar and methods with t like tFooNum()
  • Private variables mvpFooVar and methods with v like vFooNum()

The compiler should generate error if the code does not follow above standard. The C++ compiler can provide a flag option to bypass strict coding standard to compile old source code, and for all new code being developed will follow the uniform world-wide coding standard.

In the sample code given below t stands for protected, v stands for private, m stands for member-variable and p stands for pointer.

    class SomeFunMuncho
    {
            public:
                    int     mTempZimboniMacho; // Only temporary variables should be public as per OOP
                    float   *mpTempArrayNumbers;
                    int     HandleError();
                    float   getBonyBox();  // Public accessor as per OOP design
                    float   setBonyBox();  // Public accessor as per OOP design
            protected:
                    float   mtBonyBox;
                    int     *mtpBonyHands;
                    char    *tHandsFull();
                    int     tGetNumbers();
            private:
                    float   mvJustDoIt;
                    char    mvFirstName[30];
                    int     *mvpTotalValue;
                    char    *vSubmitBars();
                    int     vGetNumbers();
    };

When your program grows by millions of lines of code, then you will greatly appreciate the naming convention as above. The readability of code improves, because just by looking at the variable name like mvFirstName you can tell that it is member of a class and is a private variable.

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