---
title: "What is the difference between coding standards and coding guidelines?"  
description: "What is the difference between coding standards and coding guidelines?"  
author: "Rahul Roi"  
published: 2019-12-12  
updated: 2019-12-12  
canonical: https://www.mindstick.com/forum/145576/what-is-the-difference-between-coding-standards-and-coding-guidelines  
category: "coding standard"  
tags: ["coding standard"]  
reading_time: 1 minute  

---

# What is the difference between coding standards and coding guidelines?

What is the [difference between coding](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/107486/difference-between-coding-and-programming) standards and coding guidelines..Please help me to understand...if possible give me example..

Thanks for your time in advance.. :)

## Replies

### Reply by Nishi Tiwari

**Coding standard refers to how developers write the code following different set of rules and guidelines set by organization**. There are some [coding standards](https://www.mindstick.com/forum/145574/what-are-coding-standards-in-software-engineering) regardless of any programming language like **proper indentation, limited use of global, standard headers file used for modules, naming convention of local variables, global variables and functions and error returning values with exception handling convention.**

Coding guidelines gives the suggestion or instruction regarding coding style for the **betterment of [readability and understandability](https://www.mindstick.com/forum/145577/why-are-coding-standards-important)** of code as well as to maintain the code. Some guidelines are **well documented, length of function or variables is not to be large, error messages should be given, not use goto statement etc.**


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Original Source: https://www.mindstick.com/forum/145576/what-is-the-difference-between-coding-standards-and-coding-guidelines

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