Coding Standards

Wiki ▸ [Developer Docs](Developer Docs) ▸ Coding Standards

• Format your code so that we can read it, please!

• Use tabs for formatting, NOT SPACES. Tabs create smaller files and editors allow developers to view a tab as however many spaces as they prefer. Spaces do not allow this. There is one exception (see arrays below).

• Use ' instead of " for strings. This is a performance issue, and prevents a lot of inconsistent coding styles.

• Use the Standard Header in the top of all your scripts

• Comments go on the line ABOVE the code, NOT to the right of the code!

• For each section of code put a section divider with basic explanation of the following code/functions. It should look like this:

 /**
  * These functions are used to pick my nose 
  */ 

• Do not document every bit of code in comments. PHP is an interpreted language and it will be nasty on performance.

• Use switch statements where many elseif's are going to be used. Switch is faster and I like it better!

• If - statements need to use the following format:

	if ($var == "example") 
	{ 
		echo "This is only an example"; 
	} 
	else 
	{ 
		echo "This is not a test.  This is the real thing"; 
	}  
	//Do NOT make if statements like this: 
	if ($var == 'example'){ echo 'An example'; } 

All other styles are not to be used.

• ALL 'if' statements MUST have matching { } (brackets). Do NOT create 'if' statements like this:

	if ($a == b) 
		dosomething(); 
	//or: 
	if ($a == b) dosomething();

They make the code more difficult to read and follow.

• class/function format:

	class testing 
	{
		function print_to_screen()
		{
			global phpgw, phpgw_info;

			if ($var == 'example')
			{
				echo 'This is only an example';
			}
			else
			{
				echo 'This is not a test.  This is the real thing';
			}
		}
	}

• Associative arrays must be written in the following manner:

	$array = array
	(
		'var'	=> 'value',
		'var2'	=> 'value2'
	);

Note that tabs are preferred around the '=>'.

• Use the long format for <?php. Do NOT use <?.

• All code should start with 1 tab. Example:

<?php
	dosomething();
	if ($a)
	{
		dosomemorestuff();
	}

	//NOT:

<?php
dosomething();
if ($a) 
{ 
	dosomemorestuff(); 
} 

Thanks for following these rules :)

Wiki ▸ [Developer Docs](Developer Docs) ▸ Coding Standards