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Code Style and Formatting

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In this section, we will cover the best practices for writing clean, readable, and maintainable Dart code. Adhering to a consistent code style and formatting is crucial for collaborative projects and helps in maintaining the codebase over time.

Key Concepts

  1. Consistency: Consistent code style makes it easier for developers to read and understand the code.
  2. Readability: Code should be easy to read and understand, even for someone who did not write it.
  3. Maintainability: Well-formatted code is easier to maintain and debug.

Dart Style Guide

Dart has an official style guide that provides recommendations for writing Dart code. Here are some of the key points:

  1. Naming Conventions

  • Classes: Use UpperCamelCase for class names.

    class MyClass {
  // Class implementation
}

  • Variables and Functions: Use lowerCamelCase for variable and function names.

    int myVariable = 10;

void myFunction() {
  // Function implementation
}

  • Constants: Use lowerCamelCase for constant names, but prefix with const.

    const int maxItems = 100;

  1. Indentation and Spacing

  • Use 2 spaces for indentation.

    void main() {
  if (true) {
    print('Hello, Dart!');
  }
}

  • Add a space after control flow keywords and before the opening parenthesis.

    if (condition) {
  // Do something
}

  1. Line Length

  • Keep lines under 80 characters. If a line exceeds this limit, consider breaking it into multiple lines. 
    String longString = 'This is a very long string that exceeds the 80 characters limit, '
                    'so it is broken into multiple lines.';

  1. Comments

  • Use // for single-line comments and /* ... */ for multi-line comments.

    // This is a single-line comment

/*
 * This is a multi-line comment
 */

  • Write comments that explain why something is done, not what is done.

    // Calculate the area of the circle
double area = pi * radius * radius;

  1. Organizing Code

  • Group related code together. For example, place all imports at the top, followed by class definitions, and then function implementations. 
    import 'dart:math';

class Circle {
  double radius;

  Circle(this.radius);

  double getArea() {
    return pi * radius * radius;
  }
}

Practical Example

Here is a practical example that demonstrates the above guidelines:

import 'dart:math';

// Class definition using UpperCamelCase
class Circle {
  // Variable using lowerCamelCase
  double radius;

  // Constructor
  Circle(this.radius);

  // Function using lowerCamelCase
  double getArea() {
    // Calculate the area of the circle
    return pi * radius * radius;
  }
}

void main() {
  // Create an instance of Circle
  Circle circle = Circle(5.0);

  // Print the area of the circle
  print('The area of the circle is ${circle.getArea()}');
}

Exercises

Exercise 1: Refactor the Code

Refactor the following code to adhere to the Dart style guide:

class my_class {
  int my_variable;

  my_class(this.my_variable);

  int getvalue() {
    return my_variable;
  }
}

void main(){
  my_class obj = my_class(10);
  print(obj.getvalue());
}

Solution

class MyClass {
  int myVariable;

  MyClass(this.myVariable);

  int getValue() {
    return myVariable;
  }
}

void main() {
  MyClass obj = MyClass(10);
  print(obj.getValue());
}

Exercise 2: Add Comments

Add appropriate comments to the following code:

import 'dart:math';

class Rectangle {
  double width;
  double height;

  Rectangle(this.width, this.height);

  double getArea() {
    return width * height;
  }
}

void main() {
  Rectangle rectangle = Rectangle(5.0, 10.0);
  print(rectangle.getArea());
}

Solution

import 'dart:math';

// Class definition for Rectangle
class Rectangle {
  double width;
  double height;

  // Constructor
  Rectangle(this.width, this.height);

  // Function to calculate the area of the rectangle
  double getArea() {
    return width * height;
  }
}

void main() {
  // Create an instance of Rectangle
  Rectangle rectangle = Rectangle(5.0, 10.0);

  // Print the area of the rectangle
  print(rectangle.getArea());
}

Conclusion

In this section, we covered the importance of code style and formatting in Dart. We discussed naming conventions, indentation, line length, comments, and organizing code. By following these guidelines, you can write clean, readable, and maintainable Dart code. In the next section, we will delve into effective Dart practices to further enhance your coding skills.

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