4.2 Style Guide

At , we recommend using a consistent code style for each of the different programming languages we use. Recommended coding styles for a particular language are collated in what is known as a “style guide”. Style guides typically include standardized ways of naming script files, defining functions and variables, commenting code, etc. While does not mandate the use of style guides, having a consistent code style allows all staff to easily understand each other’s code, collaborate on projects, and jump in on new projects. We consider this an important aspect of collaboration, reproducibility, and transparency.

Rather than re-invent the wheel, we leverage existing code style guidelines for each of the languages we use. Below is a summary of the code style guidelines we recommend for various languages: