pentadactyl-pm/HACKING

= Hacking =

If you've taken to hacking Vimperator source code, we hope that you'll share
your changes. In case you do, please keep the following in mind, and we'll be
happy to accept your patches.

== Documentation ==

First of all, all new features and all user-visible changes to existing
features need to be documented. That means editing the appropriate help files
and adding a NEWS entry where appropriate. When editing the NEWS file, you
should add your change to the top of the list of changes. If your change
alters an interface (key binding, command) and is likely to cause trouble,
prefix it with 'IMPORTANT:', otherwise, place it below the other 'IMPORTANT'
entries. If you're not sure if your change merits a news entry, or if it's
important, please ask.

== Coding Style ==

In general: Just look at the existing source code!
We try to be quite consistent, but of course, that's not always possible.

Also we try to target experienced JavaScript developers which do not
necessarily need to have a good understanding of Vimperator's source code, nor
do they probably know in-depth concepts of other languages like Lisp or Python.
Therefore, the coding style should feel natural to any JavaScript developer
so it is easy to read and understand. Of course, this does not mean, you have
to avoid all new JavaScript features like list comprehension or generators.
Use them, when they make sense, but don't use them, when the resulting code
is hard to read.

=== The most important style issues are: ===

* Use 4 spaces to indent things, no tabs, not 2, nor 8 spaces. If you use Vim,
  this should be taken care of automatically by the modeline (like the
  one below).

* No trailing whitespace.

* Use " for enclosing strings instead of ', unless using ' avoids escaping of lots of "
  Example: alert("foo") instead of alert('foo');

* Exactly one space after if/for/while/catch etc. and after a comma, but none
  after a parenthesis or after a function call:
      for (pre; condition; post)
  but:
      alert("foo");

* Opening curly brackets { must be on a new line, unless it is used in a closure:
      function myFunction ()
      {
          if (foo)
          {
              baz = false;
              return bar;
          }
          else
          {
              return baz;
          }
      }
  but:
      setTimeout(function () {
          ...
      });

* No braces for one-line conditional statements:
  Right:
     if (foo)
         frob();
     else
         unfrob();

* Prefer lambda-style functions where suitable:
  Right: list.filter(function (elem) elem.good != elem.BAD);
  Wrong: list.filter(function (elem) { return elem.good != elem.BAD });

* Anonymous function definitions should be formatted with a space after the
  keyword "function". Example: function () {}, not function() {}.

* Prefer the use of let over var i.e. only use var when required.
  For more details, see
  https://developer.mozilla.org/en/New_in_JavaScript_1.7#Block_scope_with_let

* Reuse common local variable names E.g. "elem" is generally used for element,
  "win" for windows etc.

* Prefer // over /* */ comments (exceptions for big comments are usually OK)
  Right: if (HACK) // TODO: remove hack
  Wrong: if (HACK) /* TODO: remove hack */

* Documentation comment blocks use /** ... */ Wrap these lines at 80
  characters.

* Only wrap lines if it makes the code obviously clearer. Lines longer than 132
  characters should probably be broken up rather than wrapped anyway.

* Use UNIX new lines (\n), not windows (\r\n) or old Mac ones (\r)

* Use Iterators, Array#forEach, or for (let i = 0; i < ary.length; i++)
  to iterate over arrays. for (let i in ary) and for each (let i in ary)
  include members in an Array.prototype, which some extensions alter.
  Right:
    for (let [,elem] in Iterator(ary))
    for (let [k, v] in Iterator(obj))
    ary.forEach(function (elem) { ...
  Wrong:
    for each (let elem in ary)

  The exceptions to this rule are for objects with __iterator__ set,
  and for XML objects (see README.E4X).

* Use [] and {} rather than new Array/new Object.

* Don't use abbreviations for public methods
  Right:
    function splitString()...
    let commands = ...;
    let cmds = ...; // Since it's only used locally, abbreviations are ok, but so are the full names
  Wrong:
    function splitStr()

== Testing/Optimization ==

TODO: Add some information here about testing/validation/etc.
Information about how/when to use :regressions might be nice.
Additionally, maybe there should be some benchmark information here --
something to let a developer know what's "too" slow...? Or general
guidelines about optimization?

== Source Code Management ==

TODO: Document the existence of remote branches and discuss when and how
      to push to them. At least provide an index so that devs know where
      to look if an old branch needs to be maintained or a feature needs
      to be added to a new branch.

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