Coding Standards: The Unsung Hero of Clean Code
12 Feb 2025
When people talk about “coding standards,” we usually think of the small annoying details and rules that come along with it—tabs and spaces, where to put those curly braces, and how to name each variable. Well these things will keep our code more consistent, but coding standards are way more than that. They define how we write, read, and interact with code. Above it all, they can actually help you get better at programming by making us remember the best practices without even realizing it.
Why Coding Standards Matter
A good coding standard isn’t merely about nice looking code—it’s about readable, maintainable, and less buggy code. When working on large projects, if everyone writes code the same way, it can really make a huge difference. But if not, debugging becomes a total nightmare since that’s what coding is all about. I mean just imagine yourself jumping into a project where each programmer has his or her own personal style—entirely free-form and helter-skelter. I’m sure it would be a chaotic mess, and I’d immediately regret signing up for it.
Good coding habits also steer clear of common mistakes. Proper indentation and whitespace makes it easier to detect and find logic errors. Good variable names are easier for other people (and your future self) to understand what’s going on. Short, breakable functions encourage reuse over longer, less readable chunks that nobody would probably want to debug.
Coding Standards as a Learning Tool
One of the greatest and coolest things about coding standards is the fact that they teach you the right way of coding without even knowing it. Take TypeScript for example. Unlike JavaScript, it is annoying, I feel. But it is statically typed, and as such, you are less likely to have runtime errors catch you by surprise. Coding in TypeScript’s strict coding standards teaches you to write cleaner, more predictable code.
It has been a life-changer using ESLint alongside TypeScript in VSCode. It not only catches syntax errors—it makes you properly define types, make fewer redundant type assertions, and write more structured, maintainable code. If you ignore those coding standards, you might be able to get away with sloppy JavaScript, but TypeScript makes you hold yourself to a higher standard. Being forced to follow these rules from the start makes you think more carefully about how you structure your functions and interact with data, which in turn makes you a more disciplined programmer. I am so glad that I was able to find out about this as it forces me to develop good habits early, saving me a ton of frustration later on.
My Experience with ESLint in VSCode
After a week of using ESLint with VSCode, I can confidently say that it is helpful but mildly frustrating. At first, fixing all those small errors was like battling a never-ending war. But over time, my way of thinking about code changed. Instead of writing watever and then cleaning it up afterwards, I started to structure things properly in the first palace (because I am forced to with TypeScript too).
Did I think it was infuriating? Oh definitely. Was it worth it though? To that, I need to say YES. The best payoff wasn’t even having cleaner code, but it was catching inefficiencies I didn’t even know existed and had. Dead variables? Removed. Rotten function designs? Fixed. Like I said, ESLint wasn’t just complaining about formatting; it was pushing me to write better, more efficient code.
The AI Factor
With the advent of tools like ChatGPT and GitHub Copilot changing how we write code, some people may ask if coding standards are still needed. In my opinion though, oh 100%. AI may be able to write code, but it doesn’t come close to human-readable and maintainable code. As a matter of fact, currently in my Software Engineering class, I am encouraged to use AI as an aid to assist my coding efforts. Not as a crutch, but as an efficient way so that we can learn better practices. But my professor always reminds me that AI is not always perfect and that they will make mistakes at times. I agree too since I have had countless times where I thought the code that ChatGPT helped me to code was correct but it was actually not.
By pairing AI with good coding standards, I can spend less time concerned with formatting or syntax and more time fixing problems. If anything, using AI to enforce standards is even more justifiable—it keeps codebases tidy while enforcing best practices and enabling developers to write high-quality, effective code.
Conclusion
If I had to pick one software development practice to make universal, it would probably be coding standards. Not only do they reduce the bugs but at the same time, they enhance code readability, and even help developers and coders, including me, improve their own abilities. I’m sure there are those who love them or hate them but I think they are something that makes life easier in the long run. And if anyone reading this is still not yet convinced, just try debugging a project where everyone did whatever they wanted—then you’ll for sure see why coding standards matter.
This essay was reviewed using AI(ChatGPT) for grammar checking to ensure and correctness and improve readability.