My Most Basic Coding Styleguide

Over the years, I've distilled my coding practices into a set of simple rules. These aren't revolutionary – they're basic principles that make code readable and maintainable.

Naming Things

The hardest problem in computer science, they say. Here's my approach:

• Variables: Describe what they contain, not how they're used
• Functions: Start with a verb describing what they do
• Booleans: Prefix with is, has, can, or should

// ❌ Bad
const data = fetchUsers();
const flag = user.age >= 18;

// ✅ Good
const activeUsers = fetchUsers();
const isAdult = user.age >= 18;

Keep Functions Small

If a function does more than one thing, split it. A good rule of thumb: if you need to add "and" when describing what a function does, it's doing too much.

// ❌ Does too much
function processUserAndSendEmail(user) {
  // validate user
  // save to database
  // send welcome email
}

// ✅ Single responsibility
function validateUser(user) { /* ... */ }
function saveUser(user) { /* ... */ }
function sendWelcomeEmail(user) { /* ... */ }

Early Returns

Avoid deep nesting by returning early. It makes code easier to follow.

// ❌ Deep nesting
function getDiscount(user) {
  if (user) {
    if (user.isPremium) {
      if (user.yearsActive > 2) {
        return 0.2;
      }
    }
  }
  return 0;
}

// ✅ Early returns
function getDiscount(user) {
  if (!user) return 0;
  if (!user.isPremium) return 0;
  if (user.yearsActive <= 2) return 0;
  return 0.2;
}

Comments

Write code that explains itself. Use comments for the "why", not the "what".

// ❌ Describes what (obvious from code)
// Loop through users
users.forEach(user => process(user));

// ✅ Explains why
// Process oldest users first to prioritize long-term customers
users.sort((a, b) => a.createdAt - b.createdAt)
     .forEach(user => process(user));

Conclusion

These rules are simple but effective. The goal isn't perfection – it's consistency and readability. When your future self (or a colleague) reads your code, they should understand it without needing you to explain it.