Style Guide

Style guide should be followed for all C++ code developed for WARG.

Variables

All variables must follow lower Camel Case.

int youAreReadingThis = 0;
bool niceThanksForReading = false;
double thisIsSuperFun = 0.0f;

As a rule of thumb, all variables should be initialized upon declaration to prevent undefined behaviour.

Only exception to this is static variables in classes, which should have an underscore before the first character:

// These are static variables for a class
int _youAreReadingThis;
bool _niceThanksForReading;
double _thisIsSuperFun;

Pointers

The * should be separated on both sides by a space:

int * integerPointer = nullptr;

As a rule of thumb, all pointers must be initialized on decalration. If you are not assigning it a value, then set it to nullptr like the example above.

Declaring Variables on the Same Line

Declaring and initializing multiple variables of the same type can be done on the same line. However, the number of variables on the line should not exceed 5:

int a = 0, b = 1, c = 2, d = 3;

int a = 0, b = 1, c = 2, d = 3, e = 4, f = 6; // Not good, six variables on same line

Structs and Classes

When declaring structs, classes, or any object for that matter, we will prefer to use C++'s implementation of value initialization so all parameters are default initialized (are given their default value).

struct A {
... 
};

int main() {
  A hello {}; // The curly brackets trigger value initialiation
}

Mathematics

Mathematical Operations

There should always be spaces around all mathematical operators (except division). There should always be spaces between equal signs.

int b = (1 + 2 - 3) * randomVariable/5.0 + randomVariableTwo % 7;

Selection

Conditions

Operations

There must be a space around all operations (==, >=, &&, etc.)

if (1 < 2 || (1 <= 3 && 2 >= 1) || 1 == 1 || 1 > 0) { ... }

Additionally, if a condition list has more than one condition, any condition containing mathematical operations must be surrounded in brackets:

if (1 + 1 > 0) { ... } // Only one condition

if ((1 + 1 > 0) && 4 == 4) { ... } // More than one condition

Order of Terms

When comparing the value of a variable, it is best practice to put the value before the variable identifier. This prevents runtime errors from occuring in case you use = instead of ==.

if (1 == a) { ... }

If Statements

Structure

There must be a space around the if and else keywords, and there must be a space separating the condition list and the opening curlly-bracket. Curly-brackets must be on the same line as the condition list.

if (a == b) {

} else if (b == c) {

} else {

}

Always use curly brackets, even if the code within the if statement is one line.

Ternary Expressions

Pretty standard.

bool b = true;
int a = b ? 1 : 0;

Switch Statements

Switch statements are pretty standard too, just need to get the indentation right. Also, ensure you put breaks in every condition unless you cannot put it:

int a = 1;
switch(a) {
  case 1: // Indent the cases 
    ... 
    break;
  // Keep a space between the end of one case and the condition of the next 
  case 2:
  case 3:
    ... 
    break;
    
  default: // Always include a default case
    break;
}

Loops

Functions

Naming and Brackets

Functions should use lower camel case in their names. There should be no spaces between the function name and the parameter list. The open curly-bracket must be on the same line as the function name, and must be separated from the parameter list by one space:

int hewwoThereFwend() { 
  return 0; 
}

Parameters

Pointers

The * in pointers must be separated on both sides by one space.

void hewwoThereFwend(string * fwendName) { ... }

NOTE: Moving forward, we will prefer to use reference parameters over pointers when passing by reference. It is a more C++ style of programming.

Reference Parameters

The & in reference parameters must be appended to the datatype of the parameter.

void hewwoThereFwend(string& fwendName) { ... }

We will prefer to use this C++ feature when passing values by reference. To learn more about reference parameters, you can refer to the following links:

• http://www.fredosaurus.com/notes-cpp/functions/refparams.html

• https://stackoverflow.com/questions/2564873/how-do-i-use-reference-parameters-in-c

More than one Parameter

Parameters in a list must be separated by commas (obviously lol), but a space must separate a comma and a parameter:

void switchFwendName(string& fwendName, string newFwendName) { ... }

If the parameter list is very long, creating a vertical list of parameters is acceptable too. Just ensure each parameter starts in the same column so as to ensure readability.

void hewwoThereFwend(string fwendOne,
                     string fwendTwo,
                     string fwendTwee,
                     string fwendFour,
                     string fwendFive) { ... }

Commenting

All function declarations must have a comment above describing its purpose, parameters, and returned value. Pay notice to the spacing on the * and the /** that opens the comment

/**
 * This function switches the friend's name with a new name
 *
 * @param fwendName -> reference pointing to the friend's name
 * @param newFwendName -> value of the friend's new name
 *
 * @return none
 */
void switchFwendName(string& fwendName, string newFwendName);

Data Structures

Structs

Classes

Enums