Why having standards should be standard
08 Feb 2024
Standards? What standards?
I must admit that I have never given much thought to coding standards when I first started programming, or at least formally implemented standards. Most of the time, what passed as “standards” for me was simply making sure to tab my new lines whenever necessary, and not a thought more on the rest of my code. It wasn’t until I started this class that I was introduced to proper coding standards with the introduction of ESlint for use with our new IDE, IntelliJ. And while it took me a bit to get used to it, I can confidently say that learning and implementing a coding standard can not just help with streamlining your coding process and ensure readability, but also help with learning a new language.
Easing into it
At first, I felt annoyed with using ESlint. The constant warnings about tabbing a new line with bright red underlines and whatnot made me vexed as I hadn’t even gotten halfway through writing up the beginning of a function before the warnings were buzzing. I felt that it was unnecessary, overall. But after spending some more time this week coding with ESlint, I now feel a lot more comfortable using it. No longer were the warnings as irritating as they were before (they still kind of are. Just a little bit), but now they serve as a vital tool for error-checking my code before I even finish and nip any errors in the bud. Overall, ESlint has become a very useful tool in my coding tool bag, and I’ve found myself wishing that my younger self had this at his disposal.
A standard for every language
But more than just helping me with bug fixing and error hunting, what ESlint and coding standards have done is make me more comfortable with Javascript. I’ll admit, Javascript is still taking a little bit of time to get used to, but having a coding standard is helping me with my understanding of Javascript, especially regarding syntax and spacing. Even when I started Javascript from the beginning, I didn’t start to truly feel comfortable until I used ESlint. If a coding standard like ESlint could help ease me through learning more Javascript, I can see it applying to other languages out there.
What waits on the horizon
With newer projects on the horizon that use different languages, learning a coding standard will prove very useful towards easing myself into said language. I’m eager to apply this knowledge from here on out towards new languages that I may encounter in my career.