GEEcore

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Coding Guidelines ​

This page outlines the coding guidelines for this library. All contributors are required to adhere to these guidelines.

C++ version ​

The primary focus of this library is on C++23; however, the use of newer C++ standards is acceptable. To ensure compatibility, macros are utilized to provide a fallback mechanism to the targeted version.

cpp
#if GEECORE_HAS_CPP17_ATTRIBUTE(nodiscard)
#define GEECORE_NODISCARD [[nodiscard]]
#else
#define GEECORE_NODISCARD
#endif
cpp
#if GEECORE_HAS_CPP17_ATTRIBUTE(nodiscard)
#define GEECORE_NODISCARD [[nodiscard]]
#endif

General ​

  • Use EditorConfig and clang-format for consistent styling.
  • Indent with 4 spaces.
  • Choose descriptive names; minimize obscure abbreviations.
  • Use auto for type deduction where appropriate.

Header Files ​

  • Use #pragma once for header guards.
  • Organize includes and forward declarations neatly.
    • Order of includes:
      1. Corresponding header for a source file (e.g. MyClass.cpp should first include MyClass.hpp)
      2. Standard libraries (e.g. <stdexcept>, <string>).
      3. Third-party libraries (e.g. <fmt/format.h>).
      4. GEEcore library files (e.g. <geecore/SpecialMemberFunctions.hpp>).

Classes and Structs ​

  • Clearly separate public, protected, and private sections.
  • Use = default for default constructors and destructors.
  • Employ [[nodiscard]] where return values should not be ignored.
  • All classes should be marked as final by default, remove if necessary.
  • Prefer noexcept specifier for constructors and destructors when exceptions are not expected.
  • Manage copy and move semantics explicitly.

Functions ​

  • Use [[nodiscard]] for functions where the return value should not be ignored.
  • Mark functions as noexcept where exceptions are not expected.

Naming Conventions ​

  • Classes/Structs: Use PascalCase.
  • Enumerations:
    • Enum Types: PascalCase.
    • Enum Values: PascalCase.
  • Constants/Macros: Use ALL_CAPS.
  • Private Member Variables: Prefix with m_ and use snake_case.
  • Function Names: Use snake_case.
  • Variables: Use snake_case.

Comments ​

  • Use inline comments for complex logic.
  • Use Doxygen-style comments for documentation.
  • Briefly describe the purpose of classes and functions.

Other ​

  • Utilize smart pointers for dynamic memory.
  • Avoid raw pointer usage unless necessary.
  • Always use enum class over enum.