Coding Style

kriek

I've been meaning to poll you guys concerning coding style for awhile.
This mainly deals with control structures.

C-Style

<?php
    if ($a > $b)
    {
        print "a is bigger than b";
    }
    elseif ($a == $b)
    {
        print "a is equal to b";
    }
    else
    {
        print "a is smaller than b";
    }
?>

Java-Style (PEAR Coding Standard)

<?php
    if ($a > $b) {
        print "a is bigger than b";
    }
    elseif ($a == $b) {
        print "a is equal to b";
    } else {
        print "a is smaller than b";
    }
?>

VB-Style (PHP Alternative syntax)

<?php
    if ($a > $b): print "a is bigger than b";
    elseif ($a == $b): print "a is equal to b";
    else: print "a is smaller than b";
    endif;
?>

clearbreach

Hehe, C-Style is my vote. It's simply cleaner and a lot easier to follow.

Tekron-X

C-Style all the way helps me keep track of what I am actually doing. I always hated the way VB did them you always need tons of white space to read it. and Java type was always to hard to read no matter what.

jstarkey

A combination: C and VB, without the colons. I try to avoid having two bracket lines and two code lines if the whole block woud fit on one.

kriek

Just for the record, there are several styles and probably more than I can find information about, but I just listed the two most popular being C-Style and Java-Style along with the disputed VB-Style that has stirred up so much commotion.

Allman-Style Named for Eric Allman, a Berkeley hacker who wrote a lot of the BSD utilities in it (it is sometimes called `BSD style'). Resembles normal indent style in Pascal and Algol. It is the only style other than K&R in widespread use among Java programmers. Basic indent per level shown here is eight spaces, but four (or sometimes three) spaces are generally preferred by C++ and Java programmers.

K&R Style Named after Kernighan & Ritchie, because the examples in K&R are formatted this way. Also called kernel style because the Unix kernel is written in it, and the One True Brace Style (abbrev. 1TBS) by its partisans. In C code, the body is typically indented by eight spaces (or one tab) per level, as shown here. Four spaces are occasionally seen in C, but in C++ and Java four tends to be the rule rather than the exception.

Whitesmiths Style popularized by the examples that came with Whitesmiths C, an early commercial C compiler. Basic indent per level shown here is eight spaces, but four spaces are occasionally seen.

GNU style Used throughout GNU EMACS and the Free Software Foundation code, and just about nowhere else. Indents are always four spaces per level, with { and } halfway between the outer and inner indent levels.

hermand

Some hybrid of C & Java I guess. I'll use Java Style for quick easy scripts, but I usually watch my formatting (C Style is the best formatted) for anything complex.

Oh, and of course, how lazy I'm feeling!

ahundiak

I never cared for elseif myself.

if ($a == $b)
{
  echo 'A == B';
}
else
{
  if ($a < b) echo 'A < B';
  else         echo 'A > B';
}

dar-k

 <?
print "a ";
switch (true) {
	case($a>$b):print "bigger than";break;
	case($a==$b):print "equal to";break;
	default:print "smaller than";break;
}
print " b";
?>

Depends on the situation.
As long as my code is compact and readable.
In that order.

kriek

Yes, actually I prefer switch/case/break to if/elseif/else, but for this example I chose to exemplify the mass majority of programmers.

planetsim

Im more the C Style. I like to be able to follow what ive done a bit without any of the comment marks needing to really help me.

It also makes it easier to help newbies as well.. But im noticing the Java Style being increasingly popular of late.

ahundiak

Ok. I give up.

Based on the example in the original post, just what is the supposed difference between C and Java style? The examples look identical. Was it a copy/paste error?

Gary_King

Originally posted by ahundiak
Ok. I give up.

Based on the example in the original post, just what is the supposed difference between C and Java style? The examples look identical. Was it a copy/paste error?

They're completely different.

One is like

<?php if ($a > $b)
    {
        print "a is bigger than b";
    }
 ?>

and the other is like

<?php    if ($a > $b) {
        print "a is bigger than b";
    } 
?>

If you look at it carefully, you'll see that the second one is more compact, but harder to read.

And oh, C-Style for me!

rklapwijk

Combination of Java and VB. I like to keep in compact and it's still readable. And if you think it's hard to read, add comments. Even with comments its smaller then C style.
I'm a lazy coder, why waste time for entering spaces that are not needed?
My 2 cents.

Elizabeth

Originally posted by rklapwijk
I'm a lazy coder, why waste time for entering spaces that are not needed?
My 2 cents.

Amen, brother! I am a lazy coder as well... I figure I may as well give the next guy something to bitch about and someone to blame when things can't be figured out 😃

-Elizabeth

epimeth

really depends on the situation... functions and classes are always C style, but control structures are generally Java style... except for loops, which again are C style...

and my if/elseif/else look like this

if ($a>$b) {
 echo "greater than";
} elseif ($a<$b) {
 echo "less than";
} else {
 echo "equal";
}

I guess I use 'roy' style...

laserlight

In PHP for private projects I mainly use PHP alternative syntax, though of course I use indentation e.g.

<?php
if (conditionA):
	//do something
elseif (conditionB):
	//do some other thing
else:
	//do something else
endif;
?>

The advantage in this is that indentation should be obvious (as long as one doesnt insist on writing everything on a very long line), and there are no braces to worry about.

If I'm working on an existing project, I simply use whatever style is in use.
For C++, I generally use the one true brace style (i.e. K&R), but place the closing brace on a line of its own.

BuzzLY

Originally posted by Elizabeth
Amen, brother! I am a lazy coder as well... I figure I may as well give the next guy something to bitch about and someone to blame when things can't be figured out 😃
-Elizabeth

I completely agree... plus, if they need a bug fixed (not that MY code would ever have a bug), I would rather the code be so hard to read that the only way they could fix it is to call me back in 😃

BuzzLY

Originally posted by epimeth
if ($a>$b) {
 echo "greater than";
} elseif ($a<$b) {
 echo "less than";
} else {
 echo "equal";
}
I guess I use 'roy' style... [/B]

Uh, hate to tell you, but that's the "BuzzLY" style... 😉

Elizabeth

Originally posted by BuzzLY
..I would rather the code be so hard to read that the only way they could fix it is to call me back in 😃

Job security, naturally! 😃 Kind of reminds me of the Microsoft way Ha ha!

-Elizabeth

epimeth

hrmph... buzzly style my ass

and for really good job security, use that code obsufcation thing and keep a backup of the original somewhere... I know I'd hate going through code looking for function ArFddserghvgnhFgFSFGHRW()

but then again, thats what the edit->find is used for...