Code style

All code in GSD must follow a consistent style to ensure readability. We provide configuration files for linters (specified below) so that developers can automatically validate and format files.

Python

Python code in GSD should follow PEP8 with the following choices:

  • 80 character line widths.

  • Hang closing brackets.

  • Break before binary operators.

Tools

  • Linter: flake8 with pep8-naming

  • Run: flake8 to see a list of linter violations.

  • Autoformatter: yapf

  • Run: yapf -d -r . to see needed style changes.

  • Run: yapf -i file.py to apply style changes to a whole file, or use your IDE to apply yapf to a selection.

Documentation

Python code should be documented with docstrings and added to the Sphinx documentation index in doc/. Docstrings should follow Google style formatting for use in Napoleon.

C

  • 100 character line width.

  • Indent only with spaces.

  • 4 spaces per indent level.

  • Naming conventions:

    • Functions: lowercase with words separated by underscores function_name.

    • Structures: lowercase with words separated by underscores struct_name.

    • Constants: all upper-case with words separated by underscores SOME_CONSTANT.

Tools

  • Autoformatter: clang-format.

  • Run: ./run-clang-format.py -r . to see needed changes.

  • Run: clang-format -i file.c to apply the changes.

  • Linter: clang-tidy

  • Compile gsd with CMake to see clang-tidy output.

Documentation

Documentation comments should be in Javadoc format and precede the item they document for compatibility with Doxygen and most source code editors. Multi-line documentation comment blocks start with /** and single line ones start with ///.

See gsd.h for an example.

Restructured Text/Markdown files

  • 80 character line width.

  • Use spaces to indent.

  • Indentation levels are set by the respective formats.

Other file types

Use your best judgment and follow existing patterns when styling CMake and other files types. The following general guidelines apply:

  • 100 character line width.

  • 4 spaces per indent level.

  • 4 space indent.

Editor configuration

Visual Studio Code users: Open the provided workspace file (gsd.code-workspace) which provides configuration settings for these style guidelines.