#Code Standards

##Variable Naming Conventions

general javascript variables camel cased : var likeThisExample = value
jQuery : var $likeThis = $(‘likethis’)

HTML attribute names: all lower-case, hyphenated multi words <tag class="like-this">
NOT
<tag class="likeThis OR likethis OR LikeThis OR like_this">

function declaration:
function name () {}
NOT
var name = function() {}

constructor functions title cased:
function LikeThis () {}
NOT
function likeThis(){}

very explicit argument names:
no abbreviations that aren’t useful or necessary
function server ( clientRequest, serverResponse ) {}
NOT
function server ( req, res ){}

##Spacing Conventions / General Formatting

tick marks
single ticks first in javascript.
var string = 'string'
NOT
var string = "string"
always double ticks in HTML attr
<tag class="this">
NOT
<tag class='this'>

group functions and variables in readable ways: routes grouped together not methods grouped together
app.get('/')
app.post('/')
app.delete('/')
NOT
app.get('/')
app.get('/user')
app.get('/login')

spaces not tabs:
2 spaces indents, rather than 4

##Comment Conventions

// expected result type

/* block comments outside of
* or before a function,
* not inline comments all over the function
*/

// TO DO COMMENTS IN ALL CAPS LIKE THIS

in Trello tasks include line number of to do comment

##File Name Convention

no spaces, no hyphens:
NOT like this.html
NOT like-this.html

separate multiple words with underscores: like_this_example.html

plural directory names, singular table names

make directory and filenames as semantic as possible
main_server.js
NOT
app.js

##HTML Structure Conventions

type attr for links and scripts should be ommitted
NOT <script type=”text/javascript”>
THIS <script>
NOT <link rel=”stylesheet”>
THIS <link>

ALWAYS include alt=”” on img tags
should be minimally descriptive

semantic tag names
<section>
NOT
<div>
<footer>
NOT
<div id=”footer”>

id should only be used when necessary
class names

cdn scripts go last in the head scripts involving the dom go last in the body include all major meta tags in html docs no inline styles modular javascript files ( no scripts in html if avoidable )

##Git Circle Convention

1. pull from working master to your local master
2. create a new local working branch (should now match local master)
3. to be sure, you can merge from local master to local working
4. make changes to local working, making frequent commits
5. when ready to push, first make a pull request from working master to local master and fix any merge conflicts, then switch to local working and merge with local master, fix any merge conflicts
6. when an issue is finished, or reach a stopping point(finished for the day), and merge conflicts are completed, push a copy of local working branch to the branch of the same name on GitHub ** NOT MASTER **
7. pull request from working branch on GitHub to “working master” or “fake master”
8. if you make a pull request, delete branch you made pull request from *unless issue isn’t finished
9. pull from working master to local master
10. merge local master into new local working branch
11. repeat
    ** At set intervals, pull request from working master to Papa Master **

##Git Commit Message Convention

should be present tense “includes css styles” NOT “included css styles”

short, direct, and describe the general change made. least possible information to communicate the issue you dealt with “includes css styles” NOT “styles” NOT “adds background colors to footer and ………………..”

##Git Branch Name Convention

named after the issue you are solving

no spaces, no hyphens: NOT like this.html NOT like-this.html