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();
}

• Use lower case for variable and function names. No stubbly-case (mixed-case) code.

	//correct
	var $my_var;
	function my_function()
	//incorrect
	var $MyVar;
	function MyFunction()

Thanks for following these rules :)