Coding Standards

Code Style and Conventions

Following consistent coding standards makes the codebase easier to read, maintain, and contribute to.

Go Code Standards

Code Formatting

Use standard Go formatting tools:

bash
# Format all code
gofmt -w .

# Use goimports for import organization
goimports -w .

Required: All Go code must pass gofmt and goimports before committing.

Naming Conventions

Packages:

  • Lowercase, single word when possible
  • package application, package events
  • Avoid underscores or mixed caps

Exported Names:

  • PascalCase for types, functions, constants
  • type WebviewWindow struct, func NewApplication()

Unexported Names:

  • camelCase for internal types, functions, variables
  • type windowImpl struct, func createWindow()

Interfaces:

  • Name by behavior: Reader, Writer, Handler
  • Single-method interfaces: name with -er suffix
// Good
type Closer interface {
    Close() error
}

// Avoid
type CloseInterface interface {
    Close() error
}

Error Handling

Always check errors:

// Good
result, err := doSomething()
if err != nil {
    return fmt.Errorf("failed to do something: %w", err)
}

// Bad - ignoring errors
result, _ := doSomething()

Use error wrapping:

// Wrap errors to provide context
if err := validate(); err != nil {
    return fmt.Errorf("validation failed: %w", err)
}

Create custom error types when needed:

type ValidationError struct {
    Field string
    Value string
}

func (e *ValidationError) Error() string {
    return fmt.Sprintf("invalid value %q for field %q", e.Value, e.Field)
}

Comments and Documentation

Package comments:

// Package application provides the core Wails application runtime.
//
// It handles window management, event dispatching, and service lifecycle.
package application

Exported declarations:

// NewApplication creates a new Wails application with the given options.
//
// The application must be started with Run() or RunWithContext().
func NewApplication(opts Options) *Application {
    // ...
}

Implementation comments:

// processEvent handles incoming events from the runtime.
// It dispatches to registered handlers and manages event lifecycle.
func (a *Application) processEvent(event *Event) {
    // Validate event before processing
    if event == nil {
        return
    }

    // Find and invoke handlers
    // ...
}

Function and Method Structure

Keep functions focused:

// Good - single responsibility
func (w *Window) setTitle(title string) {
    w.title = title
    w.updateNativeTitle()
}

// Bad - doing too much
func (w *Window) updateEverything() {
    w.setTitle(w.title)
    w.setSize(w.width, w.height)
    w.setPosition(w.x, w.y)
    // ... 20 more operations
}

Use early returns:

// Good
func validate(input string) error {
    if input == "" {
        return errors.New("empty input")
    }

    if len(input) > 100 {
        return errors.New("input too long")
    }

    return nil
}

// Avoid deep nesting

Concurrency

Use context for cancellation:

func (a *Application) RunWithContext(ctx context.Context) error {
    select {
    case <-ctx.Done():
        return ctx.Err()
    case <-a.done:
        return nil
    }
}

Protect shared state with mutexes:

type SafeCounter struct {
    mu    sync.Mutex
    count int
}

func (c *SafeCounter) Increment() {
    c.mu.Lock()
    defer c.mu.Unlock()
    c.count++
}

Avoid goroutine leaks:

// Good - goroutine has exit condition
func (a *Application) startWorker(ctx context.Context) {
    go func() {
        for {
            select {
            case <-ctx.Done():
                return  // Clean exit
            case work := <-a.workChan:
                a.process(work)
            }
        }
    }()
}

Testing

Test file naming:

// Implementation: window.go
// Tests: window_test.go

Table-driven tests:

func TestValidate(t *testing.T) {
    tests := []struct {
        name    string
        input   string
        wantErr bool
    }{
        {"empty input", "", true},
        {"valid input", "hello", false},
        {"too long", strings.Repeat("a", 101), true},
    }

    for _, tt := range tests {
        t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
            err := validate(tt.input)
            if (err != nil) != tt.wantErr {
                t.Errorf("validate() error = %v, wantErr %v", err, tt.wantErr)
            }
        })
    }
}

JavaScript/TypeScript Standards

Code Formatting

Use Prettier for consistent formatting:

{
  "semi": false,
  "singleQuote": true,
  "tabWidth": 2,
  "trailingComma": "es5"
}

Naming Conventions

Variables and functions:

  • camelCase: const userName = "John"

Classes and types:

  • PascalCase: class WindowManager

Constants:

  • UPPER_SNAKE_CASE: const MAX_RETRIES = 3

TypeScript

Use explicit types:

// Good
function greet(name: string): string {
    return `Hello, ${name}`
}

// Avoid implicit any
function process(data) {  // Bad
    return data
}

Define interfaces:

interface WindowOptions {
    title: string
    width: number
    height: number
}

function createWindow(options: WindowOptions): void {
    // ...
}

Commit Message Format

Use Conventional Commits:

<type>(<scope>): <subject>

<body>

<footer>

Types:

  • feat: New feature
  • fix: Bug fix
  • docs: Documentation changes
  • refactor: Code refactoring
  • test: Adding or updating tests
  • chore: Maintenance tasks

Examples:

feat(window): add SetAlwaysOnTop method

Implement SetAlwaysOnTop for keeping windows above others.
Adds platform implementations for macOS, Windows, and Linux.

Closes #123
fix(events): prevent event handler memory leak

Event listeners were not being properly cleaned up when
windows were closed. This adds explicit cleanup in the
window destructor.

Pull Request Guidelines

Before Submitting

  • Code passes gofmt and goimports
  • All tests pass (go test ./...)
  • New code has tests
  • Documentation updated if needed
  • Commit messages follow conventions
  • No merge conflicts with master

PR Description Template

## Description
Brief description of what this PR does.

## Type of Change
- [ ] Bug fix
- [ ] New feature
- [ ] Breaking change
- [ ] Documentation update

## Testing
How was this tested?

## Checklist
- [ ] Tests pass
- [ ] Documentation updated
- [ ] No breaking changes (or documented)

Code Review Process

As a Reviewer

  • Be constructive and respectful
  • Focus on code quality, not personal preferences
  • Explain why changes are suggested
  • Approve once satisfied

As an Author

  • Respond to all comments
  • Ask for clarification if needed
  • Make requested changes or explain why not
  • Be open to feedback

Best Practices

Performance

  • Avoid premature optimization
  • Profile before optimizing
  • Use benchmarks for performance-critical code
func BenchmarkProcess(b *testing.B) {
    for i := 0; i < b.N; i++ {
        process(testData)
    }
}

Security

  • Validate all user input
  • Sanitize data before display
  • Use crypto/rand for random data
  • Never log sensitive information

Documentation

  • Document exported APIs
  • Include examples in documentation
  • Update docs when changing APIs
  • Keep README files current

Platform-Specific Code

File Naming

window.go           // Common interface
window_darwin.go    // macOS implementation
window_windows.go   // Windows implementation
window_linux.go     // Linux implementation

Build Tags

//go:build darwin

package application

// macOS-specific code

Linting

Run linters before committing:

bash
# golangci-lint (recommended)
golangci-lint run

# Individual linters
go vet ./...
staticcheck ./...

Questions?

If you’re unsure about any standards:

  • Check existing code for examples
  • Ask in Discord
  • Open a discussion on GitHub
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