style.shtml

---
layout: default
title: QuantLib Style Guidelines
---

<h1 class="center">QuantLib Style Guidelines</h1>

The standard style for QuantLib code is shown in the following
listing.  You can write in your own style if you don't feel
comfortable with this one; however, keep in mind that consistency
would enhance readability for developers accustomed to the existing
body of code.  Also, there should be no real tabs in the code; four
spaces should be used instead.  If you don't follow this convention,
other developers are likely to see your code with the wrong
indentation.

<div class="fragment"><pre class="fragment">
#define <span class="keyword">SOME_MACRO</span>                            <span class="comment">// all uppercase</span>

typedef double <span class="keyword">SomeType</span>;                      <span class="comment">// camelcase, starting capital</span>

class <span class="keyword">SomeClass</span> {                             <span class="comment">// camelcase, starting capital</span>
  public:
    void method();
    Real <span class="keyword">anotherMethod</span>(Real x,                <span class="comment">// camelcase, starting lowercase</span>
                       Real y) const;
    Real <span class="keyword">member</span>() const;                      <span class="comment">// getter, no leading "get"</span>
    void <span class="keyword">setMember</span>(Real);                     <span class="comment">// setter, leading "set"</span>
  private:
    Real <span class="keyword">member_</span>;                             <span class="comment">// camelcase, starting lowercase,</span>
    Integer <span class="keyword">anotherMember_</span>;                   <span class="comment">// trailing underscore</span>
};

struct SomeStruct {
    Real <span class="keyword">foo</span>;                                 <span class="comment">// struct members:</span>
    Integer <span class="keyword">bar</span>;                              <span class="comment">// no trailing underscore</span>
};

class SomeOtherClass {
  public:
    typedef Real* <span class="keyword">iterator</span>;                   <span class="comment">// no camelcase for consistency</span>
    typedef const Real* <span class="keyword">const_iterator</span>;       <span class="comment">// with STL conventions</span>
};

Size someFunction(Real <span class="keyword">parameter</span>,             <span class="comment">// one parameter per line,</span>
                  Real <span class="keyword">anotherParameter</span>) {    <span class="comment">// camelcase, starting lowercase</span>
    Real localVariable = 0.0;
    if (condition) <span class="keyword">{</span>                          <span class="comment">// brackets here...</span>
        localVariable += 3.14159;
    <span class="keyword">}</span> else <span class="keyword">{</span>                                  <span class="comment">// ...here...</span>
        localVariable -= 2.71828;
    <span class="keyword">}</span>                                         <span class="comment">// ...and here.</span>
    return 42;
}
</pre></div>