Language Specific Standards

Consistent coding standards help ensure that every team member writes clear, maintainable, and predictable code — regardless of language or IDE.
These guidelines give you a solid foundation of best practices, while separate subpages contain deeper explanations, examples, and project-specific requirements.

Use the sections below to learn the expectations for each language used in the practicum.

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General Overview of Language Standards

View General Coding Standards Overview

Regardless of language, our coding standards focus on:

1. Readability

• Write code for humans first, compilers second
• Favor clarity over clever tricks
• Keep line lengths reasonable and indentation consistent

2. Maintainability

• Use meaningful names
• Keep functions and classes small
• Follow consistent patterns across files and folders

3. Predictability

• Use the same structure other developers expect
• Follow naming conventions (camelCase, snake_case, PascalCase)
• Avoid reinventing patterns your project or community already solved

4. Shared formatting rules

• Prettier for auto-formatting
• ESLint for JavaScript/TypeScript
• Pylint/Black for Python (if applicable)
• SQL capitalization and indentation conventions

5. Documentation & comments

• Write comments that explain WHY, not WHAT
• Use docstrings (Python) or JSDoc/TSdoc for JS/TS
• Comment complex queries in SQL

These principles apply to all languages across the practicum.

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JavaScript / TypeScript

View JavaScript / TypeScript Standards

JavaScript and TypeScript are used across many practicum projects:
web apps, mobile apps (Expo), APIs, and class assignments.

Key Standards

• Use ES Modules (import / export)
• Prefer const and let instead of var
• Use arrow functions for inline and callback code
• Enforce consistent typing in TypeScript
• Use async/await instead of .then()
• Keep React/Expo components small and readable
• Organize code by feature or module

Naming Conventions

• camelCase for variables and functions
• PascalCase for components and classes
• SCREAMING_SNAKE_CASE for global constants

Recommended Tools

• ESLint
• Prettier
• TypeScript compiler diagnostics

Read More:

• JavaScript / TypeScript Standards

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Python

View Python Standards

Python is used for scripting, automation, data science, and backend components.

Key Standards

• Follow PEP 8 style guidelines
• Use 4-space indentation
• Use snake_case for variables and functions
• Use PascalCase for classes
• Add docstrings using triple quotes
• Keep modules focused and short
• Use type hints (def add(x: int, y: int) -> int:)

Virtual Environments

Always create a virtual environment:

python -m venv venv

Read More:

• Python Standards

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SQL

View SQL Standards

SQL is used in data-related assignments, backend services, and analysis tasks.

Key Standards

• Use UPPERCASE for SQL keywords (SELECT, JOIN, WHERE)
• One clause per line for readability
• Use table aliases (short, meaningful)
• Prefer CTEs (WITH statements) for complex queries
• Avoid SELECT * unless exploring or debugging
• Indent subqueries consistently

Example Formatting

WITH active_users AS (
    SELECT id, name
    FROM users
    WHERE status = 'active'
)
SELECT *
FROM active_users
ORDER BY name;

Naming Conventions

• snake_case for table and column names
• avoid spaces or uppercase identifiers

Read More:

• SQL Standards

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Additional Languages

View Additional Languages Standards

Some practicum tracks or elective projects may use additional languages such as:

• Java / Kotlin (Android development)
• Swift (iOS prototype work)
• C# (Unity or desktop tooling)
• Go (backend microservices)
• C++ (systems or performance-based modules)

For each language, you should document:

What to Include

• Structure of files and folders
• Naming conventions
• Indentation style
• Common patterns or frameworks used
• Required tools (linters, formatters, compilers)
• Sample code formatting
• Any project-specific rules established by the team

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