There are many sources of bugs in software programs. Some bugs are created by the original programmer. Other bugs results from misunderstandings of the original code by those who maintain, extend, and/or reuse (or port) that code at a later time. The number of bugs introduced by the original programmer can be reduced through the disciplined application of certain coding practices. In addition, some types of bugs caused by maintenance programmers can be prevented by the original programmer through commenting and careful and consistent naming of variables and functions.

Coding standards, which consider these issues from the start, are valuable tools to keep bugs out of medical devices and other safety-critical embedded systems. This course demonstrates how coding standards should be created to effectively eliminate software bugs in Embedded C. Students are prepared to develop a variant of Netrino's Embedded C Coding Standard customized to the needs of their organization.

Length/Options

• 1 day (lecture)

Audience

• Programmers, project managers, and technical managers

Prerequisites

• Familiarity with C programming language

Related Courses

• Embedded Software Boot Camp
• Implementing Effective Code Reviews
• Team-Based Firmware Development
• Test Driven Development for Embedded C
• Hardware Interfacing with C
• Embedded Programming with C++

Outline

Introduction

• Purpose of a Standard
• Guiding Principles
• Enforcement Procedure
• Deviation Procedure

General Rules

• Which C?
• Line Width
• Braces
• Parentheses
• Common Abbreviations
• Casts
• Keywords to Avoid
• Keywords to Frequent

Comments

• Acceptable Formats
• Location and Content

White Space

• Spaces
• Alignment
• Blank Lines
• Indentation
• Tabs
• Linefeeds

Modules

• Naming Conventions
• Header Files
• Source Files
• File Templates

Data Types

• Naming Conventions
• Fixed-Width Integers
• Signed Integers
• Floating Point
• Structures and Unions

Procedures

• Naming Conventions
• Functions
• Function-Like Macros
• Tasks
• Interrupt Service Routines

Variables

• Naming Conventions
• Initialization

Expressions and Statements

• Variable Declarations
• If-Else Statements
• Switch Statements
• Loops
• Unconditional Jumps
• Equivalence Tests

Learn More

To request pricing or dates, or for more information about this course, contact us.