Style

Based on "Style", by Taylor Swift

Written for CS 126, a first-year undergraduate course on software design

Midnight, your code is due, you don’t know what to write
Long lines, at office hours, you’re running out of time
What will you do, oh,
There’s no time left just commit something to review
(To review)
Well I could just tell you to code but I
Know exactly where that goes and I
Want you to think about design

You got that one main function that’s 500 lines
And I got that modular, encapsulated design
But when you know people will read the code that you write
Remember to use good style, remember to use good style

You started way too late so your code doesn’t work
Without any tests, is it correct? You’re just not sure
And when you write code you don’t think about your design
Remember to use good style, remember to use good style

So it goes, he says he’ll write tests but you know he won’t
Variables named “flag” or “temp”, you don’t know what he wrote (Hm yeah)
It looks like this code was written by someone from Michigan (from Michigan)[1]

Well I might be too hard on you ’cause I
Used to do the same things and I
I said I’ve been there too a few times

'Cause you got that one main function that’s 500 lines
And I got that modular, encapsulated design
But when you know people will read the code that you write
Remember to use good style, remember to use good style

You started way too late so your code doesn’t work
Without any tests, is it correct? You’re just not sure
And when you write code you don’t think about your design
Remember to use good style, remember to use good style

Write good code
Just write good code
Yeah just write good code, oh

You got that one main function that’s 500 lines
And I got that modular, encapsulated design
But when you know people will read the code that you write
Remember to use good style, remember to use good style.

[1] Feel free to replace this with whatever rival group or institution you prefer. Illinois CS likes to poke a little fun at Michigan.