Coding Standard

Table of Contents

1. General

  • 1.1 You must write C-code. No class definitions are allowed. If you need a data structure, it must be something supported by “C”, such as a struct.

  • 1.2 When compiled, your code must not cause the compiler to issue any warnings or errors.

  • 1.3 Your code, when submitted, must be in a finished form. You must not have any commented out lines of code.

  • 1.4 Avoid using repetitive sections of copied and pasted code in your programs.

  • 1.5 No external downloaded libraries are allowed, except for the simple logging library, log.c, unless the lab description specifies otherwise. Libraries that come standard in the Unix environment are allowed (e.g., string.h, getopt.h, stdio.h).

  • 1.6 All code will be graded against the coding standard.

2. Comments

  • 2.1 Comments must be meaningful. Make sure that your code completely describes your intent. If your code is unclear or does not completely describe what is going on, comment accordingly.

  • 2.2 Each function (except for main) must have a comment header which includes:

    • A description of the function (what it does, what has to happen first, etc.).
    • A list of all of the arguments, their names, and meanings.
    • A description of the return value and its meaning.

3. Formatting

  • 3.1 You must use the clang-format code formatter on your code. I recommend you use something that automatically formats your code when you save your file, such as VS Code and the C/C++ Extension. You must configure your system with the following settings:
    • BasedOnStyle: LLVM
    • IndentWidth: 4
    • UseTab: Never
    • ColumnLimit: 80 or 100

4. Program Output

  • 4.1 All logging messages must be written to stderr.

  • 4.2 All program output must be written to stdout.

  • 4.3 A program must return the correct return value when it exits.