Getting Used to Coding Standards
08 Feb 2024
As I continue my journey through the computer science program, I am always sure to appreciate any new learning experiences and challenges that come my way. Setbacks and obstacles can only make me a better programmer and student in general. However, learning to incorporate coding standards into my use of JavaScript is definitely not my favorite experience. A week ago, I had never used ESLint or IntelliJ, and getting familiar with them for my software engineering class felt like a strenuous task because there were so many things that needed to be set up and memorized. But as I familiarized myself with my new setup, I can honestly say that coding standards have become a beneficial part of my journey in computer science. At the start, I’ll admit, the new coding standards were a bit irritating as I was receiving errors for not using the proper spacing. But I have grown to appreciate it because it adds readability to my codes, not only for me, but for others that may stumble upon my work on GitHub. I can now look back at my previous codes and be proud of the work that I have done because of coding standards.
My Experience with IntelliJ and ESLint
Prior to this week, I had never used an IDE as sophisticated as IntelliJ. I had gotten used to the simplicity of JSFiddle. But as I move on to advance my skills, I have grown to love IntelliJ, though I had a rocky start navigating through it. There were many rules that I had to follow in order to implement the coding standards needed for my software engineering class. Tools I had to set up in settings in order to meet the expectations placed by my professors. Using IntelliJ with ESLint on, it made coding much simpler and more enjoyable. ESLint is one of my favorite parts of this new experience. It is a magical tool that lets me know of any possible errors I’m making as I’m coding, and on which line. I love seeing the green checkmark after resolving the errors within my code. The coding standards used in class improve the quality and consistency of the program so it can be readable. Prior to taking this class, I never thought consistent coding and readability was that important, as long as the program runs. But now I know that maintaining clean and readable code improves my experience in computer science. Even when collaborating with other people, having coding standards eliminates confusion and possible errors because everyone is able to read and understand other people’s work on the project.
Setbacks
It is painful, however, seeing the amount of errors that are present because of a lack of spacing between curly brackets. Or because of using “let” instead of “const” when declaring variables. It was hard to navigate through IntelliJ, GitHub, and Google Chrome all at onceWhile annoying, I have learned the importance of paying attention to detail. Coding standards makes my code easier, dare I say, prettier to look at. The process of coding and seeing errors as I go will always be my least favorite of studying software engineering, but it’s all worth it in the end after seeing the quality work that I have produced.
I full heartedly believe that coding standards can not only help people learn a programming language, but it can also help improve as a programmer.