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From: David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: Which code style do you prefer the most?
Date: Tue, 25 Feb 2025 17:28:05 +0100
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On 25/02/2025 16:34, Ar Rakin wrote:
> On 2/25/25 9:23 PM, David LaRue wrote:
>> I used a style similar to this in school.  Before that I used much the 
>> same.
>> As for existing code bases I prefer to keep their style and add comments
>> accordingly.  That generally goes for any language.
> 
> Agreed. For existing projects, the code style should be preserved.

Yes - within reason.  It is not good to be obsessive about coding style 
- even within existing projects with lots of contributors, there can 
sometimes be good reasons for wavering from a common style.

And for your own code, don't be afraid to find a better way of writing 
your code.  You don't have to be restricted to a C standard that was 
replaced a generation ago.  You don't have to limit yourself to code 
that was designed to work well with computers, software and screens from 
four decades ago.

If you feel that the GNU or Linux coding styles work well for the code 
you want to write, fair enough.  But don't use them simply because GNU 
or Linux uses them - unless you are contributing to GNU or Linux projects.

> 
>> Popularity of a style shouldn't be a goal.  It should be consistantly
>> readable and documented.  We must write for ourselves as well as our 
>> future
>> self and others.
> 
> This is true. I just wanted to know which style most people seem to prefer.
> 

There is no one style that has anything like a majority position, 
especially not when you consider all the possible variations.  And even 
if there was, picking a style due to popularity is as sane as picking a 
religion based on popularity.