Programming style

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Programming style, also known as coding style or code style, is a set of rules or guidelines that governs the layout of source code. Programming style may also refer a quality aspect of code that is interpreted subjectively.

Some claim that following a particular programming style helps programmers read and understand code and to avoid introducing errors.

The Elements of Programming Style, written in the 1970s provides examples in Fortran and PL/I.

The style used in a particular codebase is often based on the coding conventions of a company or organization, or the preferences of the programmer.

A style is often designed for a specific programming language or language family. For example, a style used for C may not be appropriate for BASIC. However, some rules are applied to many languages.