Are there any suggestions for developing a C# coding standards / best practices document?
I'm a recent AI graduate (circa 2 years) working for a modest operation. It has fallen to me (primarily as I'm the first 'adopter' in the department) to create a basic (read useful?) C# coding standards document.
I think I should explain that I'm probably the most junior software engineer going, but I'm looking forward to this task as hopefully I might actually be able to produce something half usable. I've done a pretty extensive search of the Internet and read articles on what a coding standards document should / should not contain. This seems like a good as place as any to ask for some suggestions.
I realise that I am potentially opening a door to a whole world of disagreement about 'the best way to do things'. I both understand and respect the undeniable fact that each programmer has a preferred method of solving each individual task, as a result I'm not looking to write anything so draconianly proscriptive as to stifle personal flair but to try and get a general methodology and agreed standards (e.g. naming conventions) to help make individuals code more readable.
So here goes .... any suggestions? Any at all?
Answer
We start with
- Microsoft's .NET guidelines: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms229042.aspx (link updated for .NET 4.5)
- Microsoft's C# guidelines: http://blogs.msdn.com/brada/articles/361363.aspx.
and then document the differences from and additions to that baseline.