Coding Standards

22 Sep 2016

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My first week using ESLint has been an interesting one. I found the most frustrating part of the process to be the initial installation of ESLint with my IntelliJ IDEA IDE which is also new to me. After I was able to download the appropriate software packages and get everything set up correctly, I was able to use ESLint and see what it’s all about.

ESLint was slightly annoying at first. It didn’t completely match the way I liked to write my code, so I found myself adding spaces and extra whitespace in places I wouldn’t normally do that. On the bright side, ESLint does a good job of clearly stating what it wants you to change, so I wasn’t left wondering why it was throwing an error. Once I began adopting the standard ESLint was holding me to, it became less and less of an issue.

Despite my initial frustrations, I can see the value of having some type of coding standard. Implementing some type of standard allows for better code to be written. Coding standards can yield more readable code through both spacing and commenting. In turn this will make the code more maintainable, since it will be easier for existing coders to return to and new coders to pick up. A standard also allows for easier collaboration between team members. Having a standard means each member’s code will follow the same format and look generally the same. This maintains the readability of the entire codebase making the work easier for whoever is involved. These are just a few of the main reasons I believe coding standards are implemented in most organized settings, and I definitely agree with that decision.