In this talk I would try to explain why using coding guidelines is in everyone’s best interest, including the coder, the readers (usually other developers) and the management as well.
I am a bit obsessed when it comes to coding guidelines, even if I don’t like each and every single one that I have to use. Still, I try to follow these standards, not because someone just said so but in my opinion, they can help us in many different ways.
Good coding standards are beneficial for all involved parties, even though they are quite biased. They are optimised for the reader, not for the writer. Of course, there is a reason behind. Code is read much more frequently than written. While a lack of standards can make your code unreadable, a piece of “code that is written using consistent guidelines is easier for other reviewers to understand and assimilate, improving the efficacy of the defect detection process”.
Besides, “the best way to end up mediocre is via tiny compromises”. We should take our time to check in clean and consistent code that we are proud of. It will not just improve the quality of the software we are working on, but will push our career into a better direction too.
