http://google-styleguide.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/cppguide.xml#The__define_Guard
C++ is the main development language used by many of Google's open-source projects. As every C++ programmer knows, the language has many powerful features, but this power brings with it complexity, which in turn can make code more bug-prone and harder to read and maintain.
The goal of this guide is to manage this complexity by describing in detail the dos and don'ts of writing C++ code. These rules exist to keep the code base manageable while still allowing coders to use C++ language features productively.
Style, also known as readability, is what we call the conventions that govern our C++ code. The term Style is a bit of a misnomer, since these conventions cover far more than just source file formatting.
One way in which we keep the code base manageable is by enforcing consistency. It is very important that any programmer be able to look at another's code and quickly understand it. Maintaining a uniform style and following conventions means that we can more easily use "pattern-matching" to infer what various symbols are and what invariants are true about them. Creating common, required idioms and patterns makes code much easier to understand. In some cases there might be good arguments for changing certain style rules, but we nonetheless keep things as they are in order to preserve consistency.
Another issue this guide addresses is that of C++ feature bloat. C++ is a huge language with many advanced features. In some cases we constrain, or even ban, use of certain features. We do this to keep code simple and to avoid the various common errors and problems that these features can cause. This guide lists these features and explains why their use is restricted.
Open-source projects developed by Google conform to the requirements in this guide.
Note that this guide is not a C++ tutorial: we assume that the reader is familiar with the language.
In general, every .cc
file should have an associated .h
file. There are some common exceptions, such as unittests and small .cc
files containing just a main()
function.
Correct use of header files can make a huge difference to the readability, size and performance of your code.
The following rules will guide you through the various pitfalls of using header files.
#define
guards to prevent multiple inclusion. The format of the symbol name should be
<PROJECT>_<PATH>_<FILE>_H_
.
#include
when a forward declaration would suffice.
-inl.h
suffix to define complex inline functions when needed.
.h
, your project's
.h
.
.cc
files are encouraged. With named namespaces, choose the name based on the project, and possibly its path. Do not use a
using-directive.
Init()
method.
explicit
for constructors with one argument.
DISALLOW_COPY_AND_ASSIGN
.
struct
only for passive objects that carry data; everything else is a
class
.
public
.
Interface
suffix.
Interface
suffix.
private
, and provide access to them through accessor functions as needed (for technical reasons, we allow data members of a test fixture class to be
protected
when using Google Test). Typically a variable would be called
foo_
and the accessor function
foo()
. You may also want a mutator function
set_foo()
. Exception:
static const
data members (typically called
kFoo
) need not be
private
.
public:
before
private:
, methods before data members (variables), etc.
There are various tricks and utilities that we use to make C++ code more robust, and various ways we use C++ that may differ from what you see elsewhere.
scoped_ptr
is great. You should only use
std::tr1::shared_ptr
under very specific conditions, such as when objects need to be held by STL containers. You should never use
auto_ptr
.
cpplint.py
to detect style errors.
const
.
alloca()
.
friend
classes and functions, within reason.
static_cast<>()
. Do not use other cast formats like
int y = (int)x;
or
int y = int(x);
.
++i
) of the increment and decrement operators with iterators and other template objects.
const
whenever it makes sense to do so.
int
. If a program needs a variable of a different size, use a precise-width integer type from
<stdint.h>
, such as
int16_t
.
const
variables to macros.
0
for integers,
0.0
for reals,
NULL
for pointers, and
'/0'
for chars.
sizeof(varname)
instead of
sizeof(type)
whenever possible.
The most important consistency rules are those that govern naming. The style of a name immediately informs us what sort of thing the named entity is: a type, a variable, a function, a constant, a macro, etc., without requiring us to search for the declaration of that entity. The pattern-matching engine in our brains relies a great deal on these naming rules.
Naming rules are pretty arbitrary, but we feel that consistency is more important than individual preferences in this area, so regardless of whether you find them sensible or not, the rules are the rules.
_
) or dashes (
-
). Follow the convention that your project uses. If there is no consistent local pattern to follow, prefer "_".
MyExcitingClass
,
MyExcitingEnum
.
my_exciting_local_variable
,
my_exciting_member_variable_
.
k
followed by mixed case:
kDaysInAWeek
.
MyExcitingFunction()
,
MyExcitingMethod()
,
my_exciting_member_variable()
,
set_my_exciting_member_variable()
.
google_awesome_project
.
kEnumName
or
ENUM_NAME
.
MY_MACRO_THAT_SCARES_SMALL_CHILDREN
.
Though a pain to write, comments are absolutely vital to keeping our code readable. The following rules describe what you should comment and where. But remember: while comments are very important, the best code is self-documenting. Giving sensible names to types and variables is much better than using obscure names that you must then explain through comments.
When writing your comments, write for your audience: the next contributor who will need to understand your code. Be generous — the next one may be you!
//
or
/* */
syntax, as long as you are consistent.
TODO
comments for code that is temporary, a short-term solution, or good-enough but not perfect.
DEPRECATED
comments.
Coding style and formatting are pretty arbitrary, but a project is much easier to follow if everyone uses the same style. Individuals may not agree with every aspect of the formatting rules, and some of the rules may take some getting used to, but it is important that all project contributors follow the style rules so that they can all read and understand everyone's code easily.
To help you format code correctly, we've created a settings file for emacs.
else
keyword belongs on a new line.
{}
or
continue
.
return
expression with parentheses.
=
or
()
.
public
,
protected
and
private
order, each indented one space.
The coding conventions described above are mandatory. However, like all good rules, these sometimes have exceptions, which we discuss here.
Use common sense and BE CONSISTENT.
If you are editing code, take a few minutes to look at the code around you and determine its style. If they use spaces around their if
clauses, you should, too. If their comments have little boxes of stars around them, make your comments have little boxes of stars around them too.
The point of having style guidelines is to have a common vocabulary of coding so people can concentrate on what you are saying, rather than on how you are saying it. We present global style rules here so people know the vocabulary. But local style is also important. If code you add to a file looks drastically different from the existing code around it, the discontinuity throws readers out of their rhythm when they go to read it. Try to avoid this.
OK, enough writing about writing code; the code itself is much more interesting. Have fun!