Kodformatering

Kodformatering refers to the conventions used when writing source code to improve readability and maintainability. It covers indentation, line length, spacing around operators, blank lines, brace placement, and the consistent use of comments and naming conventions. While the syntax of a language determines what code does, its formatting is a stylistic choice adopted by a project or community.

Purpose was to make code easier to read, review, and modify; to reduce visual noise; to standardize across contributors; to support automatic tooling.

Practices commonly include indentation with spaces or tabs, a maximum line length (often 80 or 100 characters), consistent use of braces and block structure, spacing around operators, blank lines to separate logical blocks, consistent import or include order, avoidance of trailing whitespace, encoding and newline conventions, and clear comment style.

Standards and tools: Many languages have official or de facto style guides (Python's PEP 8, Java's Google Style, JavaScript Standard, etc.). Tools include linters that check style and correctness (flake8, ESLint) and formatters that automatically reformat code (Black, Prettier, gofmt, clang-format). IDEs often support auto-format-on-save.

Impact and adoption: Codebases with consistent formatting are easier to read and review; automated formatting reduces debates about style and helps maintain a shared code quality. Teams typically enforce formatting through pre-commit hooks or continuous integration.