Sometimes style really does matter
David Reed · Journal of computing sciences in colleges · 2010
Programming, like any creative endeavor, involves some personal style choices on the part of the programmer. Within the computer science education community, there are some programming style conventions that have been widely agreed upon, because following them unequivocally leads to programs that are easier to read and maintain. In other cases, a programmer might reasonably choose between competing styles, each of which provides similar advantages. This paper describes three instances where programming style is more than just aesthetics - following these conventions can actually help a beginning programmer to avoid mistakes and better understand the underlying programming concepts that they are utilizing.