Reflecting on Coding Standards in ICS 314
11 Aug 2025
Reflecting on Coding Standards in ICS 314
I. Introduction
When people hear the phrase coding standards, they often think of surface-level rules: how many spaces to indent, where curly braces go, or whether semicolons are mandatory. Those details matter, but after my experience in ICS 314, I’ve come to see coding standards as something much more important. They shape how you think about code, how you communicate with teammates, and even how you learn a programming language.
During this course, coding standards weren’t just a checklist—they were enforced through tools like ESLint and integrated directly into our workflow using VSCode. At first, this felt restrictive and sometimes frustrating. Over time, though, I realized that consistent standards did more than keep the codebase tidy: they actively improved my understanding of JavaScript and good software engineering practices.
II. First Impressions of ESLint
My first week using ESLint was honestly rough. Seeing dozens of red squiggly lines appear after writing what I thought was “working” code was intimidating. Some errors felt nitpicky, like warnings about unused variables or inconsistent arrow function syntax. Others, however, pointed out real problems—logic that could break later, confusing patterns, or code that wasn’t as readable as I assumed.
Getting rid of all the ESLint errors was both painful and useful. Painful, because it slowed me down and forced me to revisit code I just wanted to move past. Useful, because it trained me to notice issues earlier. After a while, I started writing code that naturally triggered fewer warnings, which meant the standards were actually sinking in.
III. Coding Standards as a Learning Tool
One idea that really resonated with me is that coding standards can help you learn a programming language. I agree with that perspective. ESLint rules often forced me to ask why something was considered bad practice. For example, rules about variable scope, equality checks, or promise handling pushed me to understand JavaScript’s quirks instead of working around them.
Rather than memorizing syntax from documentation alone, I learned through correction. Each ESLint warning was like a small lesson embedded directly into my code. Over time, this made certain patterns feel “wrong” instinctively, even before the linter complained.
IV. Impact on Code Quality and Teamwork
Coding standards also mattered a lot in team settings. In group projects, consistent style made it easier to read each other’s code without mentally translating formatting or structure. We could focus on logic instead of presentation. When everyone follows the same standards, code reviews become faster and more meaningful.
Without enforced standards, teams tend to drift toward inconsistent styles, which adds friction and increases the chance of bugs slipping through. In that sense, coding standards aren’t just about aesthetics—they’re about reducing cognitive load and improving collaboration.
V. Challenges and Frustrations
That said, coding standards aren’t perfect. There were moments when ESLint felt overly strict or when fixing one warning caused another to appear. This sometimes broke my flow, especially during timed exercises. It was tempting to see the linter as an obstacle rather than a helper.
The key difference over time was mindset. Once I stopped treating ESLint as an enemy and started treating it as feedback, the frustration eased. I still don’t enjoy fixing every warning, but I now understand why they matter.
VI. Coding Standards vs. “Just Making It Work”
Before this class, my approach to coding was often “make it work first, clean it up later.” Coding standards challenged that habit. They encouraged writing clean, readable code from the start. While this initially slowed me down, it paid off by reducing debugging time and making my code easier to reason about.
Compared to traditional learning methods—like reading documentation or copying examples—coding standards provided immediate, contextual feedback. That made them especially effective as a teaching tool.
VII. Future Perspective
Looking ahead, I think coding standards will only become more important, especially as projects grow in size and teams become more distributed. Tools like ESLint don’t replace understanding, but they reinforce it. For students, this means learning not just how to code, but how to code responsibly and professionally.
In future courses and real-world projects, I plan to keep using linters and style guides—not because they’re required, but because they genuinely improve the quality of my work.
VIII. Conclusion
ICS 314 changed how I view coding standards. What once felt like trivial formatting rules now feels like one of the most impactful software engineering practices I’ve learned. While using ESLint was sometimes frustrating, it was ultimately valuable. Coding standards helped me learn JavaScript more deeply, write clearer code, and collaborate more effectively.
If I could only choose one technique to improve software quality, coding standards would be near the top of the list—not because they make code prettier, but because they make developers better.