Indenting

• Use spaces to indent. Tabs should not appear in code files (with the exception of files that require tabs, e.g. Makefiles). We have a Subversion pre-commit script that enforces this rule for most source files, preventing commits of files that don't follow this rule.
• The indent size is 4 spaces.
• Code editors should be configured to expand tabs that you type to 4 spaces.

Braces

• Function definitions — open and close braces should be on lines by themselves. Do not put the open brace on the same line as the function signature.

Right:

void foo()
{
    // do stuff
}

Wrong:

void foo() {
    // do stuff
}

• Other braces including for, while, do, switch statements and class definitions — the open brace should go on the same line as the as the control structure.

Right:

for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
    // do stuff
}

Wrong:

for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++)
{
    // do stuff
}

• if/else statements — as above, but if there is an else clause, the close brace should go on the same line as the else. Also, one-line if or else clauses should not get braces.

Right:

if (timeToGetCoffee) {
    buyCoffee(&coffee);
    chugIt(coffee);
} else if (timeToGoHome)
    // comment on else case
    outtaHere = true;

Wrong:

if (timeToGetCoffee)
{
    buyCoffee(&coffee);
    chugIt(coffee);
// comment on else case
} else if (timeToGoHome)
{
    outtaHere = true;
}
  
if (timeToGetCoffee) {
}
else
  
// comment on else case
  
if (timeToGoHome)
    outtaHere = true;

Parentheses

• Function declarations and calls — do not use any spaces between the name and the open paren, inside the parentheses, or before commas that separate arguments. Do use a single space after commas that separate arguments.

Right:

int myFunction(int arg1, float arg2);

void noArgFunction(); // for C++ or Objective-C++

void noArgFunction(void); // for C or Objective-C

Wrong:

int myFunction (int arg1, float arg2);

int myFunction( int arg1 , float arg2 );

void noArgFunction ();

• Control structures such as if, while, do and switch — use a single space before the open paren, but no spaces inside the parentheses.

Null, false and 0

• In C++, the null pointer value should be written as 0. In C it should be written as NULL. In Objective-C, it should be written as nil if it is being used as a null pointer of type id or another Objective-C object type, otherwise NULL.

• True and false values of type bool (common in C and C++), or generic true/false values, should be written as true and false. Values of the Objective-C BOOL type should be written as YES and NO.

• Tests for null pointers, false values and 0 values should all be done directly, not through an inqueality or equality comparison.

Right:

// test for true
if (foo->isSomething()) {
    // code
}
    
// test for false
if (!foo->isSomething()) {
    // code
}
    
// test for non-null
if (ptr) {
   // code
}
    
// test for null
if (!ptr) {
   // code
}
    
// test for nonzero
if (count) {
    // code
}
    
// test for zero
if (!count) {
    // code
}

Wrong:

if (foo->isSomething() == true) {
    // code
}
    
if (foo->isSomething() != false) {
    // code
}
    
if (p == NULL) {
    // code
}
    
if (nil != p) {
    // code
}
    
if (count == 0) {
    // code
}

Names

• General Rule: With very few exceptions, prefer embedded capitals instead of underscores for class, function and variable names.

• C++ and Objective-C classes, interfaces and protocols, and other type names — these names should start with a capital letter and use InterCaps.

Right:

class MyImportantClass;

Wrong:

class My_important_class;

class myImportantClass;

• Local variables should use interCaps, but the first word should start with a lowercase letter, like this:

Right:

int myInt;

Wrong:

int MyInt;

int my_int;

• Free function names in C++ should follow the same naming conventions as local variables. Most functions should be named to sound like verb phrases, like openDoor or walkAroundTheBlock. (getters, setters, predicates?)

• C++ data members should be named like local variables, but with a prefix of m_.

• C++ member functions should follow the same naming convention as free functions.

• Objective-C methods should follow the usual Cocoa naming style — they should read like a phrase or sentence and each piece of the selector should start with a lowercase letter and use interCaps.

• Objective-C instance variables should be named like local variables but starting with an underscore.

• Enum members should user InterCaps with an initial capital letter.

• #defined constants should use all uppercase names with words separated by underscores.

• Macros that expand to function calls or other non-constant computation: these should be named like functions, and should have parentheses at the end, even if they take no arguments (with the exception of some special macros like ASSERT). Note that usually it is preferrable to use an inline function in such cases instead of a macro.

Right:

#define WBStopButtonTitle() \
        NSLocalizedString(@"Stop", @"Stop button title")

Wrong:

#define WB_STOP_BUTTON_TITLE \
        NSLocalizedString(@"Stop", @"Stop button title")

#define WBStopButtontitle \
        NSLocalizedString(@"Stop", @"Stop button title")

• Acronyms in names: If an identifier includes an acronym, make the acronym all-uppercase or all-lowercase, depending on whether a word in that position would be capitalized or not.

Right:

urlVariable
myURLAccessor:

Wrong:

uRLVariable
myUrlAccessor:

Other Punctuation

• Constructors for C++ classes should initialize all of their members using C++ constructor synatax. Each member (and superclass) should be indented on a separate line, with the colon or comma preceding the member on that line.

Right:

MyClass::MyClass(Document* doc)
    : MySuperClass()
    , m_myMember(0)
    , m_doc(doc)
{
}

MyOtherClass::MyOtherClass()
    : MySuperClass()
{
}

Wrong:

MyClass::MyClass(Document* doc) : MySuperClass()
{
    m_myMember = 0;
    m_doc = doc;
}

MyOtherClass::MyOtherClass() : MySuperClass() {}

• Pointer types in non-C++ code — Pointer types should be written with a space between the type and the * (so the * is adjacent to the following identifier if any).

• Pointer and reference types in C++ code — Both pointer types and reference types should be written with no space between the type name and the * or &.

Right:

Image* SVGStyledElement::doSomething(PaintInfo& paintInfo)
{
  SVGStyledElement* element = static_cast<SVGStyledElement*>(node());
  const KCDashArray& dashes = dashArray();

Wrong:

Image *SVGStyledElement::doSomething(PaintInfo &paintInfo)
{
    SVGStyledElement *element = static_cast<SVGStyledElement *>(node());
    const KCDashArray &dashes = dashArray();

Include Statements

• All files must #include "config.h" first.

• All files must #include the primary header second, just after "config.h". So for example, Node.cpp should include Node.h first, before other files. This guarantees that each header's completeness is tested, to make sure it can be compiled without requiring any other header files be included first.

• Other #include statements should be in sorted order (case sensitive, as done by the command-line sort tool or the Xcode sort selection command). Don't bother to organize them in a logical order.