Coding Standards: A Necessary Evil
23 Sep 2025
Rules have the power to influence behavior, shape decisions, and create order within a community. Under the scope of computer science, rules such as the basic coding standards act as the pillars that uphold the expectations of how code should be written and organized. These standards act as a guideline to keep code not only functional but consistent and readable, which is especially important for projects involving multiple moving parts and an array of individuals.
The Worst Part of it
In my Software Engineering class, we use ESLint in VSCode to ensure that the coding standards are upheld. ESLint checks for style and formatting errors, ranging from missing spaces to unnecessary blank lines. It forces us to adhere to a strict coding standard. At times, it can feel overly restrictive. Flagging an error for simply not adding a single space somewhere? Flagging for having one too many new lines between code. This can be frustrating when working on a complex project since most of the errors are minor and don’t actually affect the efficiency of the program.
Benefits
While it can feel nitpicky considering how many small squiggly red lines I encounter, the benefits of adhering to coding standards are significant. They help keep programs looking consistent across files which can make it significantly easier for developers to read and understand each other’s code. Additionally these little irritations are usually just an easy fix. Sometimes the npm run lint-fix command can really come in handy when you don’t want to deal with looking at every single issue in your program. By simplifying the process with automatic correction, it actually saves time and reduces the amount of manual effort that is required. With this, following the coding standards are simplified.
In conclusion, like rules, coding standards are essential in the role they play. In this case in software development, it may feel nitpicky or overly strict sometimes, but ultimately it improves collaboration, readability, and maintainability. It’s part of being able to work in a team and do your part. Following these standards not only contributes to the functionality and organization of the code but benefits individuals and teams in the long run.