StatementConventions

General Rules

The statements generally inherit rules that are applied for syntax. One important exception is that function calls are written without space between function name and opening brace for parameters. For clarification purposes refer to

Examples

Examples show recommended style and point out what we'd like to avoid.

If-related statements

/* Prefer */
if ( a == b )
{
    c++;
}
/* Avoid */
if( a == b) //No space after 'if'
{
    c++;
}
/* Avoid */
if (a == b) //No space after brace ')' and before brace ')'
{
    c++;
}


/* Prefer */
if ( condition_one )
{
    ...
} else if ( condition_two )
{
    ...
} else
{
    ...
}
/* Avoid */
if ( condition_one)
{
    ...
} 
else if ( condition_two ) // redundant line
{
    ...
} else { // BUT needed newline for this curly brace
    ...
}

Loop operators

/* Prefer */
for ( i = 0; i < MAX; i++ )
{
    while ( condition )
    {
    
    } 
}
/* Prefer */
for ( i = getFirstIndex();
      !isTraversalComplete();
      i = updateIndexByTraversalStep() )
{
     do
     {
         ...
     } while ( condition );
}

/* Avoid */
for ( i = 0; i < MAX; i++, a--) // Nested loops - put curly braces to ephasize
    while ( condition) a++; // Need newline here

/* Avoid */
for ( i = getFirstIndex(); !isTraversalComplete(); i = updateIndexByTraversalStep()) // too long, No space before ')' brace
{
     do
     {
         ...
     } 
     while ( condition); // redundant line
}

Ternary conditional statement

/* Prefer */
a = ( b > c )? d : e;
/* Prefer */
next_element = ( current_element == null )
               ? firstElement()
               : current_element->next();
/* Avoid */
 a = ( b > c)? //No space before ')'
      d : e; // Redundant line
/* Avoid */
next_element = (current_element == null)?getFirstElement():current_element->getNext();
// Too long and no spaces

Function calls and parameters

No space between function name and parameter list. Space after opening brace. If parameter list is empty put braces together.

/* Prefer */
newElem( curr_elem, data->temporaryDataP());//Attention: no space before ')' !
/* Avoid */
newElem (curr_elem, data->temporaryDataP( ));//Space before '(', in empty parameter list

Indent ending of long parameter list to align with first parameter. Alternatively you can place each parameter on separate line since it encourages commenting them.

/* Prefer */
initializeField( getFirstFieldDefault(), getSecondFieldDefault(),
                 getThirdFieldDefault(), lastParameter());
/* Prefer */
initializeField( getFirstFieldDefault(),
                 getSecondFieldDefault(),
                 getThirdFieldDefault(),
                 lastParameter());
/* Avoid */
initializeField( getFirstFieldDefault(), getSecondFieldDefault(),
                                         getThirdFieldDefault(), lastParameter());
/* Avoid */
initializeField( getFirstFieldDefault(),
                 getSecondFieldDefault(), getThirdFieldDefault(), lastParameter());
/* Avoid */
initializeField( getFirstFieldDefault(), getSecondFieldDefault(),
    getThirdFieldDefault(), lastParameter());