This page describes the best practices for MPICH developers to make life easier for developers integrating with our code base. This document is a slightly modified version of the suggestions from Microsoft developers who frequently integrate with the MPICH code base.
- Avoid renaming and modifying files in a single check-in. Rename the files in one check-in and modify the files in subsequent check-ins.
- Avoid moving and modifying functions between files in a single check-in. Move functions between files in one check-in and modify the functions in subsequent check-ins.
- Avoid commenting out or
#ifdefout a section of code and rewrite it as new code. Remove the obsolete code and add the new code in the same check-in. - Avoid mixing source code beautification, E.g. limiting source code to 80 columns, with actual code change.
- Avoid using tabs, use spaces instead.
- Avoid making multiple logical changes in a single check-in. Make separate check-ins for each logical change.
- Avoid silently breaking a functionality and fixing it after many check-ins. Use a separate branch for the broken code and merge it to the trunk after fixing the functionality.
- Avoid retaining obsolete fields in a structure, unused variables and unused static functions. Remove the obsolete code in the same check-in where you stop using them.