Right off the stack, coding standards distinguish the readability of your program. Implementing a coding standard can be a vital tool that will showcase your skills as a software engineer, instead of hindering your viewers with illegible code.
The first programming language I learned was Java using the jGRASP development environment. Although the course did not implement a specific coding standard, there was definitely a standard and expectation to the visual aspect and readability of my code. For all my programming assignments, I was required to include comments every 3-5 lines, indentation, empty lines, etc. Being a person who appreciates organization and uniformity, standards made my code picturesque. Easily readable. Easily understood. Easy to debug.
Since I have a good foundation utilizing a coding standard, switching into IntelliJ and implementing the ESLint coding standard is a cake.slice(1) (“piece of cake”).
Don’t get me wrong, there are some things to get use to, mainly the spacing and variable usage. However, coding can be an art and coding standards is just another tool to elevate the connection and understanding between your code and its audience.
As a software engineer, we should know by now that we do not write code for ourselves. We will not be the only spectators judging our abilities. So we cannot assume that others will have the capability to understand our “individualstic” style of coding. If no one can understand your code, how can it be improved? How can you become a better software engineer without receiving viable feedback?
I am not saying it is impossible, or that you have to conform to the standards. But utilizing a coding standard would be a great asset to yourself, to your fellow coworkers, and to anyone else who happens upon your hard work. Do not let your hard work go unnoticed because it is unreadable. Enforce a coding standard.