Standardized Excellence
08 Feb 2024
IDE Introduction
Using ESLint and IntelliJ opened my eyes to the alternative to a non-plug-in standard IDE. ESLint is an interesting set of coding standards for many people. It allows the user to adopt community rulesets or even create their own coding standard for how they wish to create their projects. Currently, the rules being used are from the file supplied to us. Standards are important as they create a framework for how projects are meant to be coded.
Intellij Ultimate is a new experience for me as a customizable IDE. I have previously used JSFiddle and Notepad ++ for coding, and both lack comprehensive plugin support. The plugin support allows me to utilize ESLint within the IntelliJ IDE. One of the main selling points of IntelliJ is the context-aware code completion that can be enabled within the options. Having a cross-platform IDE makes it easier for me to switch back and forth between my Apple laptop and my Windows desktop PC.
Cohesive Analysis
When I am analyzing code, I find it difficult to read certain projects when they are written by multiple people. If the people coding on a collaborative project all use the same coding style guidelines, the result becomes a cohesive codebase. The ability to analyze and write code consistently will allow future contributors or people not as familiar with the code to read it easily. Having coding standards is beneficial to the reader of the code as its main purpose. It does not matter to the person coding how the code looks, as they have a better understanding of their work. Instead, an outside observer gains the most from the guidelines set in place.
Getting a green checkmark on my code gives me a sense of accomplishment. Not only does it prove that I abided by guidelines and that my code is error-free, but it also reassures me that it is standardized. Having ESLint guarantees that I am sticking to the applied coding standards while not manually checking each line of code. The automation that ESLint provides affords the user extra time to spend on other prospects instead of diligently spot-checking code. I think this is a great tool that will aid future collaborative efforts between multiple users coding on one project.