FLOW3 Coding Guidelines

This article mainly summarizes the Coding Guidelines we definded for FLOW3 (and later TYPO3 v5) development

Why follow the Guidelines?

file: starts with F3_ (unless it doesn't belong to a complete own project -> under discussion)
file: part after F3_ = folder structure
file: only A-Z a-z 0-9 and _ chars are allowed
file: UpperCamelCase (Except abbreviations like f.e. MVC)
file: Tests in Tests directory must end with "Test.php"
class, interface, ... name must be the same as filename
CONSTANTS must be Uppercase, including TRUE, FALSE and NULL
no typical nothing saying names for variables like f.e. $i or $j, better $step, $charCounter, ...
variables: lowerCamelCase (exceptions see above)
methods: lowerCamelCase (exceptions see above)
methods: only A-Z a-z 0-9 allowed (_ only for constructor + magic methods)
methods: testing methods must not start with "test_", but contain a "@test" tag* class & interface: part after F3_ = folder structure (see above)
class & interface: starts with F3_ (see above)
class & interface: name UpperCamelCase (see above)
class & interface: only A-Z a-z 0-9 and _ chars are allowed
class: Tests in Tests directory must end with "Test"
interface: must end with "Interface". no "_" allowed before "Interface"
abstract: last part must start with "Abstract" (example missing)

tabs, not spaces
long criterias (f.e. in if constructs): more lines and indent them, following parts must be indenten one time more (example needs to be put here)
multiline strings = multiple lines
put if constructs without braces in one line
dot concatenated strings: put space before and after dot
one space after if, while, for, foreach and the opening brace
line end = Unix style aka chr(10) aka "\n"

else only in this way: "} else {"
put opening brace on same line with opening token, f.e. "class Demo {"
put closing brace on own new line indenting with opening token if not before "else"