Pilled Code & ESLint Roller
08 Feb 2024
Ketchup Is To Mustard As IntelliJ Is To What?
ESLint as a coding standard is like any other coding standard for me. My first impressions with ESLint were not too bad. It seemed very simple and with IntelliJ checking the standards for me, it was very easy to follow and to remember. However, the miniscule details that go into ESLint were very weird at first, such as no empty lines at the beginning of the file, no extra spaces after a semicolon, etc. But, I am able to see how having the coding standard be so strict is beneficial as every file will be readable to anyone that knows of the coding standard.
Using The ESLint Roller
Obtaining that green checkmark in IntelliJ is quite a pain, but it is oddly satisfying when it does pop up. However, getting that green check mark does take time to obtain. In the first few practice WODs that used IntelliJ and ESLint6, it was difficult understanding what IntelliJ wanted me to do, especially when you’re bombarded with many error messages and red underlines. But after getting my way around what all the errors mean and how to fix them, I got the hang of how ESLint wanted me to format my code. So, although it is a pain to obtain the green check mark, intelliJ makes it a lot easier to fix the errors, especially when it flags it right away and tells you how to fix it.
Important, But By How Much?
So, can coding standards help you learn a coding language? I would say yes and no. Coding standards can help with formatting and remembering certain things about a coding language; however, with actually learning how a language works, I do not think coding standards help in that sense. For example, the coding standards for C and C++ helped with formatting the code to be readable, but did not necessarily help me learn about pointers and how C/C++ implements those. Coding standards can be helpful and I think coding standards are important; but I do not think they are definitively helpful in learning a language–at least the coding standards I have come upon in my programming journey.
The Million Dollar Question
Coding standards to the typical computer science major may seem miniscule and/or insignificant. However, a professor told us how coding standards are, in fact, the most important thing a programmer should remember. He said it could make or break $1,000,000 dollars as it makes code readable. If your code is readable, you’re golden, and if it’s not, you’re out of luck. Readable code is important as you never know who or how many people will see it, so following coding standards and formatting your code is essential. However, it is hard to keep up with different coding standards for every coding language. Each language requires a different set of standards, but in hindsight, it really makes a difference and is helpful in the long term. Remember, it could make or break a million dollars, so I will for sure keep coding standards in mind everytime I code.