C Language Coding Standards: Naming Conventions and Commenting Styles

In the process of learning and using the C language, adhering to certain coding standards is very important. Reasonable naming conventions and good commenting styles can not only improve the readability of the code but also enhance coding efficiency during team collaboration. This article will discuss the naming conventions and commenting styles in C language, with detailed analysis through examples.

1. Naming Conventions

1. Identifiers

In C language, identifiers are used to represent variables, functions, arrays, etc. Identifiers consist of letters (both uppercase and lowercase), digits, or underscores, but cannot start with a digit.

Examples:

int count;              // Valid identifier
float average_score;    // Valid identifier
int 2ndValue;          // Invalid identifier, cannot start with a digit

2. Naming Practices

To ensure the code is clear and understandable, we follow some basic principles:

• Lowercase letters + Underscore separation: Use lowercase letters and separate different words with underscores (<span>_</span>). For example:

  int total_amount;

• int total_amount;

• Capitalized first letter: For struct and union types, if necessary, you can choose to use a capitalized first letter. For example:

  struct StudentInfo {    char name[50];    int age;};

• struct StudentInfo {
• char name[50];
• int age;
• };

• Hungarian Notation: To indicate the data type of a variable, you can prefix the variable name with a type prefix, such as<span>i</span> for integer, and<span>f</span> for float. This method helps to quickly understand the purpose of the variable. For example:

  int iCount;float fPrice;

• int iCount;
• float fPrice;

3. Avoid ambiguous or short names

We should avoid using overly short and non-descriptive names such as ‘a’, ‘b’, ‘temp’, etc., as this can confuse others when reading the code. Additionally, we should avoid duplicating library functions and keywords.

Example:

// Not recommended: double t;
// Recommended: double temperatureInCelsius;

2. Commenting Styles

Good comments can greatly improve code maintainability, making the entire project more robust. Below we introduce several common commenting methods.

1. Single-line comments

Single-line comments start with<span>//</span>, suitable for simple explanations of a part of the functionality or explanations after variable definitions.

Example:

int max_size = 100; // Maximum array size

2. Multi-line comments

Multi-line comments are enclosed with <span>/* ... */</span>, used to describe more complex information or important module-level descriptions. A good practice is to try to keep multi-line comments complete sentences rather than breaking them arbitrarily.

Example:

/* * Function: calculate_area  * Description: Calculates the area of a circle based on the given radius. * Parameters: radius - radius of the circle. * Return value: Returns the calculated area. */
double calculate_area(double radius) {   return PI * radius * radius;}

3. Annotate local functions and logic blocks

In complex logic or large functions, using systematic comments helps to clarify thoughts and improve readability. It is a good idea to provide a brief description before each new logic block to summarize the intent of that logic.

Example:

void sort_array(int arr[], int n) {   // Implementation of bubble sort algorithm      for (int i = 0; i < n - 1; i++) {       for (int j = 0; j < n - i - 1; j++) {           if (arr[j] > arr[j + 1]) {               // If the current element is greater than the next element, swap their positions                   swap(&arr[j], &arr[j + 1]);           }       }   }

3. Conclusion

By adhering to these simple yet effective C language naming conventions and commenting styles, you can not only help yourself but also make it easier for other developers to understand your code. When team members can clearly follow a unified standard, communication efficiency will significantly improve, thereby enhancing overall work quality. I hope this article is helpful to you.