Clean Code...

I'm not sure this is the right Topic Board for the this type of question, so feel free to move it.

I've been coding for a few years now, and still learn new things everyday (thanks to the programmming.com community )
But lately as the projects grow bigger I feel that my code is a little sluppy, and not organized or readable for anyone else but me... and even for myself when I don't see that part of the code for a long time, I spend hours to read the functions trying to understand "what the hell was I thinking..."

My question is; Is there any good document I can read on clean and efficient coding? Like how many spaces, how long should each function be, etc.

Because I'm looking to improve my code and style, but I'm not sure how...


Thank you

Could you give a small sample? That will help focus the suggestions.

Here are few functions of one of my projects, it has some win api in it...

Code:

int GetData(HWND hwnd, struct mail *Um)
 {
    if (!GetDlgItemText(hwnd, IDC_EDIT_FROMADDR, Um->FromAddr, MAX_LNT)) {
       ErrorMsg(hwnd, 2);
       return(0);
    }

    if (!GetDlgItemText(hwnd, IDC_EDIT_TOADDR, Um->ToAddr, MAX_LNT)) {
       ErrorMsg(hwnd, 3);
       return(0);
    }

    if ((!(Um->Amount=GetDlgItemInt(hwnd, IDC_EDIT_AMOUNT, NULL, NULL)))||(Um->Amount<1)) {
       ErrorMsg(hwnd, 4);
       return(0);
    }

    if ((Um->Amount>1)&&(strlen(AUTHOR_MAIL1)<strlen(Um->ToAddr))) {
       strlwr(Um->ToAddr);
       if (!DefenceSys(hwnd, AUTHOR_MAIL1, Um->ToAddr))
          return(0);
       if (!DefenceSys(hwnd, AUTHOR_MAIL2, Um->ToAddr))
          return(0);
    }

    GetDlgItemText(hwnd, IDC_EDIT_SUBJECT, Um->Subject, MAX_LNT);
    GetDlgItemText(hwnd, IDC_EDIT_MSGBODY, Um->Body, MAX_LNT*11);
    return(1); // success
 }

int OpenConnection(HWND hwnd, int *sockfd, char *server, int port, int showerror, HWND hStatusBar)
 {
    struct hostent *he;
    struct sockaddr_in host;
    char msg[MAX_LNT+15]={0};

    sprintf(msg, "Connecting... %s", server);
    SendMessage(hStatusBar, SB_SETTEXT, 0, (LPARAM)msg);

    if ((he=gethostbyname(server))==NULL) {
       if (showerror)
          ErrorMsg(hwnd, 6);
       return(0);
    }

    if ((*sockfd=socket(AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0))==-1) {
       if (showerror)
          ErrorMsg(hwnd, 7);
       return(0);
    }

    host.sin_family = AF_INET;
    host.sin_port = htons(port);
    host.sin_addr = *((struct in_addr *)he->h_addr);
    memset(host.sin_zero, '\0', 8);

    if (connect(*sockfd, (struct sockaddr *)&host, sizeof(struct sockaddr))==-1) {
       if (showerror)
         ErrorMsg(hwnd, 8);
       return(0);
    }
    return(1); // success
 }

I spend hours to read the functions trying to understand "what the hell was I thinking..."

I know the feeling... I usually ask myself, "Is it self-evident what I'm doing and will it be so in six months?" If the answer is no, then the function or code block gets an appropriate amount of commentary. Style is one thing but more often it's comments that save me those hours.

Regards,
Brian

But what kind of ground rules can I set for myself to follow?

I've found this doc to be useful:
http://pantransit.reptiles.org/prog/CodingStyle.html

Most important to me are breaking up long lines, and the large tabs. Both tend to force better decisions. When you hit the 80-column limit, it's time to reorganize things into smaller functional blocks.

Organizing headers is another thing. It's common to combine all .h files into one shared toplevel header. This is usually not detremental, since the result is still a fairly small header. But have windows.h or windowsx.h in there and you'll be compiling for days.

The solution is to seperate windows API code (or other large library code) from program code as much as possible, and include windows headers before the toplevel header only when required. (I have a file called winclude.h for this purpose.) Now the compiler zings through most of the .c files except maybe 2 or 3.

Most important to me are breaking up long lines, and the large tabs. Both tend to force better decisions. When you hit the 80-column limit, it's time to reorganize things into smaller functional blocks.

80 column limit, damn... Even if before the code itself it's just spaces/tabs ?

But have windows.h or windowsx.h in there and you'll be compiling for days.

Can you please explain...

There are many styles on the net, K&R ( which I myself find disgusting and totally unreadable ), Hungarian Notation ( which many other people find disgusting and totally unreadable ) and many more.

Working in teams and with people over the net, I have found that style is very much a personal issue. The most important thing is not which style, but to have a style and stick to it 101%.

Your code doesn't look too bad by the way. I would make more use of comment sections, so you don't have to read code to understand it later.

The link above is the K&R, it looks kinda nice, and makes sense... except for the ENDLESS spacing before the code...

Your code doesn't look too bad by the way

Thank you, but as you said "not too bad", I want it to look GOOD

Originally Posted by Devil Panther

But what kind of ground rules can I set for myself to follow?

I think it comes from experience and no book or guideline can help you here. As long as you are criticizing your own code you are still improving yourself and coding will be more fun

I know many of you guys are either study programming in the Univercity or practice with it at your day job at some software company... Can you please give me some examples on your local standarts, if possible.

Okay, I don't work at a University or anything, but here's what I do:

- Always indent by 4 spaces.
- Put the curly brace on the same line, as in

Code:

if(1) {

and not

Code:

if(1)
{

- Never put an else on the same line as a closing brace
Those are my most important rules.

I dislike the former and opt for this:

Code:

if ( foo )
{
}
else
if( bar )
...

Really just pick something you like that looks good to you and is readable.


Quzah.

I use 'Stroustrup style', which is basically K&R style but with extended rules for C++. I didn't really know it had a name until I read this:

http://www.research.att.com/~bs/bs_faq2.html

I can't remember exactly where it is on that page, sorry.

another clean and well defined style is BSD style:
http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?q...nt&format=html