Summary

Application development is more than just scribbling down code, getting the syntax right, and making sure that the software runs. Because software won't be read only by a computer but also by other programmers (or you) in the future, source code should be clear and concise. Well-written code is easy to read, extensively commented, and uses natural-language expressions. APIs should make clear and consistent interfaces available, be structured into logical units, and abstract the back end. And because larger projects aren't self-explanatory even with the clearest code, technical documentation is needed.

The coding conventions presented in this chapter are based on common sense guides from the accumulated experience of many programmers, ...

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