Assignment Kit for

Coding/Counting Standard
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PSP Fundamentals

The Software Engineering Institute (SEI)

is a federally funded research and development center
sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense and
operated by Carnegie Mellon University.

This material is approved for public release.

Distribution limited by the Software Engineering Institute to attendees.

Coding/Counting Standard

June 2012

2012 by Carnegie Mellon University

PSP Fundamentals
Assignment Kit for the Coding/Counting Standard
Overview
Topics

This assignment kit covers the following topics.

Section

See Page

Prerequisites

Objectives

Coding/Counting standard requirements

Coding/Counting standard example

Evaluation criteria and suggestions

Coding/Counting standard template

Prerequisites

Prerequisites
Read Chapter 4

Objectives

The objectives of the coding/counting standard are to

establish a consistent set of coding practices
provide criteria for judging the quality of the code that you produce
facilitate size counting by ensuring you are consistent about what you put on
each physical line

Coding/counting
standard
requirements

Produce, document, and submit a completed coding/counting standard that

calls for quality coding practices.
For LOC counting, ensure that a separate physical source line is used for each
logical line of code.
Submit the coding/counting standard with your program 2 assignment package.

Coding/Counting Standard

June 2012

2012 by Carnegie Mellon University

Example coding/counting standard

Coding/counting
standard
example

The following pages contain a C++ coding/counting standard example.

Notes about the example:
Since it is an example, tailor it to meet your personal needs.
If you have an existing organizational standard, consider using it for the PSP
exercises.
Continued on next page

Coding/Counting Standard

June 2012

2012 by Carnegie Mellon University

C++ Coding/Counting Standard Example

Purpose
Counting
Standard
Program Headers
Header Format

Contents
Contents
Example

To guide implementation of C++ programs

- Count each physical line as one LOC.
- Do not count blank lines and comment-only lines.
- Be consistent about what you put on each physical line.
Begin all programs with a descriptive header.
/******************************************************************
/
/* Program Assignment: the program number
*/
/* Name:
your name
*/
/* Date:
the date you started developing the program
*/
/* Description:
a short description of the program and what it does
*/
/******************************************************************
/
Provide a summary of the contents
/******************************************************************
/
/* Contents:
*/
/* Reuse instructions
*/
/* Modification instructions
*/
/* Compilation instructions
*/
/* Includes
*/
/* Class declarations:
*/
/*
CData
*/
/*
ASet
*/
/* Source code in c:/classes/CData.cpp:
*/
/*
CData
*/
/*
CData()
*/
/*
Empty()
*/
/******************************************************************
/

(continued)

Coding/Counting Standard

June 2012

2012 by Carnegie Mellon University

C++ Coding/Counting Standard Example (continued)

Reuse
Instructions

Reuse
Instruction
Example

Identifiers
Identifier
Example
Comments

Good Comment
Bad Comment
Major Sections
Example

Blank Spaces
Indenting
Indenting
Example

Capitalization

Capitalization
Examples
Coding/Counting Standard

- Describe how the program is used: declaration format, parameter values, types,
and formats.
- Provide warnings of illegal values, overflow conditions, or other conditions that
could potentially result in improper operation.
/******************************************************************
/
/* Reuse instructions
*/
/*
int PrintLine(char *line_of_character)
*/
/*
Purpose: to print string, line_of_character, on one print line
*/
/*
Limitations: the line length must not exceed LINE_LENGTH
*/
/*
Return 0 if printer not ready to print, else 1
*/
/******************************************************************
/
Use descriptive names for all variables, function names, constants, and other
identifiers. Avoid abbreviations or single-letter variables.
Int number_of_students;
/* This is GOOD */
Float: x4, j, ftave;
/* This is BAD */
- Document the code so the reader can understand its operation.
- Comments should explain both the purpose and the behavior of the code.
- Comment variable declarations to indicate their purpose.
If(record_count > limit) /* have all records been processed?
*/
If(record_count > limit) /* check if record count exceeds limit
*/
Precede major program sections by a block comment that describes the processing
done in the next section.
/******************************************************************
/
/* The program section examines the contents of the array grades and calcu- */
/* lates the average class grade.
*/
/******************************************************************
/
- Write programs with sufficient spacing so they do not appear crowded.
- Separate every program construct with at least one space.
- Indent each brace level from the preceding level.
- Open and close braces should be on lines by themselves and aligned.
while (miss_distance > threshold)
{
success_code = move_robot (target _location);
if (success_code == MOVE_FAILED)
{
printf(The robot move has failed.\n);
}
}
- Capitalize all defines.
- Lowercase all other identifiers and reserved words.
- To make them readable, user messages may use mixed case.
#define DEFAULT-NUMBER-OF-STUDENTS 15
int class-size = DEFAULT-NUMBER-OF-STUDENTS;
June 2012

2012 by Carnegie Mellon University

Evaluation criteria and suggestions

Evaluation
criteria

Your standard must be

complete
legible

Suggestions

Keep your standards simple and short.

Do not hesitate to copy or build on the PSP materials.

Coding/Counting Standard

June 2012

2012 by Carnegie Mellon University

Coding/Counting Standard Template

Purpose

To guide the development of programs

Counting
Standard

- Count each physical line as one LOC.

- Do not count blank lines and comment-only lines.
- Be consistent about what you put on each physical line.
Begin all programs with a descriptive header.

Program Headers
Header Format

Contents
Contents
Example

Provide a summary of the contents.

Reuse
Instructions

- Describe how the program is used. Provide the declaration format, parameter values
and types, and parameter limits.
- Provide warnings of illegal values, overflow conditions, or other conditions that could
potentially result in improper operation.

Reuse Example

Identifiers

Use descriptive names for all variables, function names, constants, and other identifiers.
Avoid abbreviations or single letter variables.

Identifier Example

(continued)

Coding/Counting Standard

June 2012

2012 by Carnegie Mellon University

Coding/Counting Standard Template (continued)

Comments

- Document the code so that the reader can understand its operation.
- Comments should explain both the purpose and behavior of the code.
- Comment variable declarations to indicate their purpose.

Good Comment
Bad Comment
Major Sections

Precede major program sections by a block comment that describes the processing that is
done in the next section.

Example

Blank Spaces
Indenting

Write programs with sufficient spacing so they do not appear crowded.

Separate every program construct with at least one space.
Indent every level of brace from the previous one.
Open and closing braces should be on lines by themselves and aligned with
other.

each

Indenting
Example

Capitalization

- Capitalized all defines.

- Lowercase all other identifiers and reserved words.
- Messages being output to the user can be mixed-case so as to make a clean user
presentation.

Capitalization
Example

Coding/Counting Standard

June 2012

2012 by Carnegie Mellon University