Chapter 4. The Style Factor

I intend to make this chapter short and sweet, so that we can get on to the graphics stuff as soon as possible. A question you may be asking yourself right now is “What is style?” Well, my computer dictionary says that style is “Distinctive and stylish elegance.”

In my eyes, style is not just how something looks. Style is how something feels. I have looked at one piece of code with contempt and another with understanding, simply because of the way it feels. But, of course, to achieve the feeling, you have to create the look.

Style in computer programming is creating code that is understandable and readable. It is code that you can see day after day and not detest. Style is one of the most overlooked and underappreciated parts of computer programming. This chapter quickly introduces you to the foundations of style and leads you to create your own.

Another thing to note is that a lot of times, ugly code is also poorly written. It is illogical and tough to understand, and that usually leads to unnecessary bad coding. Try to keep the code neat and your programs will be better.