Indenting

  1. Use spaces to indent. Tabs should not appear in code files (with the exception of files that require them e.g. Makefiles).
  2. The indent size is 4 spaces.
  3. Code editors should be configured to expand tabs that you type to 4 spaces.

Braces

  1. Function definitions - open and close braces should be on lines by themselves. Do not put the open brace on the same line as the function signature. For example: 
        RIGHT:
    
        void foo()
        {
        }
        
        
    WRONG:
    
        void foo() {
        }
  2. Loop control structures, including for, while and do statements - the open brace should go on the same line as the as the control structure. 
        RIGHT:
    
        for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
        }
                
    WRONG:
    
        for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) 
        {
        }
  3. If/else statements - as above, but if there is an else clause, the close brace should go on the same line as the else. 
        RIGHT:

        if (timeToGetCoffee) {
	    buyCoffee(&coffee);
            chugIt(coffee);
        } else if (timeToGoHome)
            outtaHere = true;


    WRONG:

        if (timeToGetCoffee)
        {
	    buyCoffee(&coffee);
            chugIt(coffee);
        } else if (timeToGoHome) 
        {
            outtaHere = true;
        }
        
        if (timeToGetCoffee) {
        } 
	else if (timeToGoHome) 
            outtaHere = true;

Parentheses

  1. Function declarations and calls - do not use any spaces between the name and the open paren, inside the parentheses, or before commas that separate arguments. Do use a single space after commas that separate arguments. 
        RIGHT:

        int myFunction(int arg1, float arg2);
        void noArgFunction();

    WRONG:
        int myFunction (int arg1, float arg2);
        int myFunction( int arg1 , float arg2 );
        void noArgFunction ();
  2. Control structures, such as if, while, do and switch - use a single space before the open paren, but no spaces inside the parentheses.

Names

  1. General Rule: With very few exceptions, prefer embedded capitals instead of underscores for class, function and variable names.
  2. C++ and Objective-C classes, interfaces and protocols, and other type names - these names should start with a capital letter and use InterCaps. 
        RIGHT:
    
        class MyImportantClass
        
    WRONG:
    
        class My_important_class
        class myImportantClass
  3. Local variables should use interCaps, but the first word should start with a lowercase letter, like this: 
        RIGHT:
    
        int myInt;
        
    WRONG:
    
        int MyInt;
        int my_int;
  4. Free function names in C++ should follow the same naming conventions as local variables. Most functions should be named to sound like verb phrases, like "openDoor" or "walkAroundTheBlock". (getters, setters, predicates?)
  5. C++ data members should be named like local variables, but with a prefix of m_.
  6. C++ member functions should follow the same naming convention as free functions.
  7. Objective-C methods should follow the usual Cocoa naming style - they should read like a phrase or sentence and each piece of the selector should start with a lowercase letter and use intercaps.
  8. Objective-C instance variables should be named like local variables but starting with an underscore.
  9. Pointer and reference types - pointer types should be written with a space between the type name and the * (so the * is adjacent to the following identifier if any). For reference types, the & goes next to the type name.
  10. Enum members should user InterCaps with an initial capital letter.
  11. #defined constants should use all uppercase names with words separated by underscores.
  12. Macros that expand to function calls or other non-constant computation: these should be named like functions, and should have parentheses at the end, even if they take no arguments (with the exception of some special macros like ASSERT): 
        RIGHT:
        #define WBStopButtonTitle()  NSLocalizedString(@"Stop", @"Go/Stop button title when busy")

    WRONG:
        #define WB_STOP_BUTTON_TITLE  NSLocalizedString(@"Stop", @"Go/Stop button title when busy")
        #define WBStopButtontitle  NSLocalizedString(@"Stop", @"Go/Stop button title when busy")
  13. Acronyms in names: If an identifier includes an acronym, make the acronym all-uppercase or all-lowercase, depending on whether a word in that position would be capitalized or not. 
        RIGHT:

        urlVariable
        myURLAccessor:

    WRONG:

        uRLVariable
        myUrlAccessor: