How do you measure the quality of software? What distinguishes good source code from bad? Coding standards measure software quality.

Well-written coding standards define naming conventions. They also describe how comments document code. They discuss the layout of source code modules. They forbid the use of goto statements and self-modifying code. They may discuss the management of dependecies. In general coding standards draw on developer experience to produce guidelines that make code functional, readable and maintainable.

Your organization may bristle at the idea of a formal coding standards document. A coding checklist may suffice in its place. This gives guidance to the developer and may give a good discussion point for a peer review.

Speaking of quality, why isn’t there anything good on TV?