After some years of programming, I have learned that the code that is easiest to read is the code that you write yourself. Many programming languages are very flexible with how you can write them, and despite how it may look in some circumstances, the program will actually compile. For an extreme example, I have seen entire programs written in one line. Not only is this code format extremely difficult to read, but also in many circumstances, almost limits the program itself in a way. Because of the way that some programs are written, it becomes much harder to iterate upon as it becomes more and more convoluted. This is why I believe coding standards should be enforced when writing code today.
Almost every great program is built by multiple people. Github and Git are a necessity to most developers in today’s world. However, collaborating on code together becomes much more difficult when formatting is different between people. Having one coding standard that unifies all the code written by multiple people makes it easier to understand. The importance of transparency in your code helps immensely toward troubleshooting and debugging, a long process that can be made even longer due to hard-to-read code.
As for my experience so far in learning new programming languages, it is much easier to understand the language initially and pick up its patterns with a coding standard in place. Learning Javascript initially wasn’t too difficult, but upon implementing ESLint in IntelliJ, a coding standard for Javascript, it was much easier to understand its nuances. At first, it was slightly difficult since I taught myself to write code in a specific format, but as I got used to it, it became less of an annoyance and more of a guide. Javascript is indeed a very flexible language, making many actions possible with different implementations. The coding standard does not seem to limit its possibilities but makes it organized for users of the language in a way that is still comprehensible at a glance. With coding standards in place, it is not only easier to read the code that you make, but the code that others create as well.