Coding standards are a set of guidelines that define how code should be written. They are used to improve the readability, maintainability, and portability of code.
There are a number of different coding standards for R, but some of the most common include:
- The Google R Style Guide
- The Tidyverse Style Guide
- The Hadley Wickham Style Guide
These style guides cover a wide range of topics, including:
- File naming conventions
- Identifier naming conventions
- Line length
- Indentation
- Spacing
- Comments
- Function definitions
- Function documentation
Following a coding standard can help to make your code more readable, maintainable, and portable. It can also help to improve collaboration between developers.
Key principles of coding standards for R
- Use descriptive variable names. Variable names should be descriptive and easy to understand. They should be lowercase, with words separated by underscores.
- Use consistent indentation. Indentation should be used to make code easier to read. The most common indentation style for R is to use two spaces per level.
- Use comments to explain your code. Comments should be used to explain what your code is doing. They should be clear and concise, and they should be placed in a way that makes sense.
- Document your functions. Function documentation should include the function's name, purpose, arguments, and return value. It should also be clear and concise.
