- Tabs, not spaces.
- End files with a newline.
- All method declarations should be documented.
- Comments should be hard-wrapped at 80 characters.
- Comments should be Tomdoc-style.
- Use
#pragma marks to categorize methods and protocol implementations.
- Never declare an ivar unless you need to change its type from its declared property.
- Prefer exposing an immutable type for a property if it being mutable is an implementation detail. This is a valid reason to declare an ivar for a property.
- Don't access an ivar unless you're in
-initor-dealloc. - Use dot-syntax for "simple" getters and setters, including class methods (like
NSFileManager.defaultManager). - Always declare memory-management semantics even on
readonlyproperties. - Declare properties
readonlyif they are only set once in-init. - Don't use
@synthesizeunless the compiler requires it. - Instance variables should be prefixed with an underscore (just like when implicitly synthesized).
- Use object literals, boxed expressions, and subscripting over the older, grosser alternatives.
- Comparisons should be explicit for everything except
BOOLs. - Prefer positive comparisons to negative.
- There shouldn't be a space between a cast and the variable being cast.
NewType a = (OldType)b;- Always surround
ifbodies with curly braces if there is anelse. Single-lineifbodies without anelseshould be on the same line as theif. - All curly braces should begin on the same line as their associated statement. They should end on a new line.
- Put a single space after keywords and before their parentheses.
- Return and break early.
- No spaces between parentheses and their contents.
if (shitIsBad) return;
if (something == nil) {
// do stuff
} else {
// do other stuff
}- Blocks should have a space between their return type and name.
- Block definitions should omit their return type when possible.
- Block definitions should omit their arguments if they are
void.
void (^blockName1)(void) = ^{
// do some things
};
id (^blockName2)(id) = ^ id (id args) {
// do some things
};- The contents of array and dictionary literals should have a space on both sides.
- Dictionary literals should have no space between the key and the colon, and a single space between colon and value.
NSArray *theShit = @[ @1, @2, @3 ];
NSDictionary *keyedShit = @{ GHDidCreateStyleGuide: @YES };- Categories should be named for the sort of functionality they provide. Don't create umbrella categories.
- Category methods should always be prefixed.
- If you need to expose private methods for subclasses or unit testing, create a class extension named
Class+Private.