Improve readability of CONTRIBUTING.md (closes #513)

CONTRIBUTING.md

@@ -4,104 +4,106 @@ Your pull requests are welcome; however, they may not be accepted for various re
 
 
 
-
 ## Before you contribute
 
-All Pull Requests, except for translations and user documentation, need to be
+All Pull Requests, except for translations and user documentation, need to be attached to a issue on GitHub. For Pull Requests regarding enhancements and questions, the issue must first be approved by one of project's administrators before being merged into the project. An approved issue will have the label `Accepted`. For issues that have not been accepted, you may request to be assigned to that issue.
-attached to a issue on GitHub. For Pull Requests regarding enhancements and questions,
-the issue must first be approved by one of project's administrators before being
-merged into the project. An approved issue will have the label `Accepted`. For issues
-that have not been accepted, you may request to be assigned to that issue.
 
-Opening a issue beforehand allows the adminstrators and the communitiy to discuss
+Opening a issue beforehand allows the administrators and the community to discuss bugs and enhancements before work begins, preventing wasted effort.
-bugs and enhancements before work begins, preventing wasted effort.
 
 
 
-
+## Guidelines for pull requests
-## Guidelines for pull requests:
 
 1. Respect Notepad++ coding style.
 2. Make a single change per commit.
 3. Make your modification compact - don't reformat source code in your request. It makes code review more difficult.
 4. PR of reformatting (changing of ws/TAB, line endings or coding style) of source code won't be accepted. Use issue trackers for your request instead.
 
-
 In short: The easier the code review is, the better the chance your pull request will get accepted.
 
 
 
+## Coding style
+![stay clean](https://notepad-plus-plus.org/assets/images/good-bad-practice.jpg)
 
 
-##Coding style:
-<img src="https://notepad-plus-plus.org/assets/images/good-bad-practice.jpg">
 
-####GENERAL
+#### GENERAL
 
-* Do not use Java-like braces:
+1. ##### Do not use Java-like braces.
 
-GOOD:
+  * ###### Good:
-```c
+    ```cpp
     if ()
     {
         // Do something
     }
-```
+    ```
-BAD:
+
-  ```c
+  * ###### Bad:
+    ```cpp
     if () {
         // Do something
     }
-```
+    ```
-* Use tabs instead of whitespaces (we usually set our editors to 4
+
-  whitespaces for 1 tab, but the choice is up to you)
+1. ##### Use tabs instead of white-spaces (we usually set our editors to 4 white-spaces for 1 tab, but the choice is up to you).
 
 
-* Always leave one space before and after binary and ternary operators
+1. ##### Always leave one space before and after binary and ternary operators.
-  Only leave one space after semi-colons in "for" statements.
 
-GOOD:
+  * ###### Good:
-```c
+    ```cpp
     if (10 == a && 42 == b)
-```
+    ```
-BAD:
+
-  ```c
+  * ###### Bad:
+    ```cpp
     if (a==10&&b==42)
-```
+    ```
-GOOD:
+
-  ```c
+1. ##### Only leave one space after semi-colons in "for" statements.
+
+  * ###### Good:
+    ```cpp
     for (int i = 0; i != 10; ++i)
     ```
-BAD:
-  ```c
-  for(int i=0;i<10;++i)
-```
-* Keywords are not function calls.
-  Function names are not separated from the first parenthesis:
 
-GOOD:
+  * ###### Bad:
-```c
+    ```cpp
+    for(int i=0;i<10;++i)
+    ```
+
+1. <h5>Keywords are not function calls;<br>
+Function names are not separated from the first parenthesis.</h5>
+
+  * ###### Good:
+    ```cpp
     foo();
     myObject.foo(24);
-```
+    ```
-BAD:
-```c
-    foo ();
-```
-* Keywords are separated from the first parenthesis by one space :
 
-GOOD:
+  * ###### Bad:
-```c
+    ```cpp
+    foo ();
+    ```
+
+1. ##### Keywords are separated from the first parenthesis by one space.
+
+  * ###### Good:
+    ```cpp
     if (true)
     while (true)
-```
+    ```
-BAD:
-```c
-    if(myCondition)
-```
 
-* Use the following indenting for "switch" statements
+  * ###### Bad:
-```c
+    ```cpp
+    if(myCondition)
+    ```
+
+1. ##### Use the following indenting for "switch" statements:
+
+  ```cpp
   switch (test)
   {
       case 1:
@@ -112,144 +114,151 @@ BAD:
       default:
           // Do something else
   } // No semi-colon here
-```
+  ```
 
-* Avoid magic numbers
+1. ##### Avoid magic numbers.
 
-BAD:
+  * ###### Good:
-```c
+    ```cpp
-  while (lifeTheUniverseAndEverything != 42)
-      lifeTheUniverseAndEverything =  buildMorePowerfulComputerForTheAnswer();
-```
-GOOD:
-```c
     if (foo < I_CAN_PUSH_ON_THE_RED_BUTTON)
         startThermoNuclearWar();
-```
+    ```
 
-* Prefer enums for integer constants
+  * ###### Bad:
+    ```cpp
+    while (lifeTheUniverseAndEverything != 42)
+        lifeTheUniverseAndEverything = buildMorePowerfulComputerForTheAnswer();
+    ```
 
-* Use initialization with curly braces
+1. ##### Prefer enums for integer constants.
 
-GOOD:
+1. ##### Use initialization with curly braces.
-```c
-MyClass instance{10.4};
-```
-BAD:
-```c
-MyClass instance(10.4);
-```
 
-* Always use `empty()` for testing if a string is empty or not
+  * ###### Good:
+    ```cpp
+    MyClass instance{10.4};
+    ```
 
-GOOD:
+  * ###### Bad:
-```c
+    ```cpp
-if (not string.empty())
+    MyClass instance(10.4);
+    ```
+
+1. ##### Always use `empty()` for testing if a string is empty or not.
+
+  * ###### Good:
+    ```cpp
+    if (not string.empty())
     ...
-```
+    ```
-BAD:
+
-```c
+  * ###### Bad:
-if (string != "")
+    ```cpp
+    if (string != "")
     ...
-```
+    ```
 
 
 
-####NAMING CONVENTIONS
+#### NAMING CONVENTIONS
 
-* Classes (camel case) :
+1. ##### Classes (camel case)
 
-GOOD:
+  * ###### Good:
-```c
+    ```cpp
     class IAmAClass
     {};
-```
+    ```
-BAD:
+
-```c
+  * ###### Bad:
+    ```cpp
     class iAmClass
     {};
     class I_am_class
     {};
-```
+    ```
 
-* methods (camel case + begins with a lower case)
+1. <h5>methods (camel case + begins with a lower case)<br>
-  method parameters (camel case + begins with a lower case)
+method parameters (camel case + begins with a lower case)</h5>
 
-GOOD:
+  ```cpp
-```c
   void myMethod(uint myVeryLongParameter);
-```
+  ```
-* member variables
+
-  Any member variable name of class/struct should be preceded by an underscore
+1. <h5>member variables<br>
-```c
+Any member variable name of class/struct should be preceded by an underscore.</h5>
+
+  ```cpp
   public:
       int _publicAttribute;
   private:
       int _pPrivateAttribute;
       float _pAccount;
-```
+  ```
 
-* Always prefer a variable name that describes what the variable is used for
+1. ##### Always prefer a variable name that describes what the variable is used for.
 
-GOOD:
+  * ###### Good:
-```c
+    ```cpp
     if (hours < 24 && minutes < 60 && seconds < 60)
-```
+    ```
-BAD:
+
-```c
+  * ###### Bad:
+    ```cpp
     if (a < 24 && b < 60 && c < 60)
-```
+    ```
 
-####COMMENTS
 
-* Use C++ comment line style than c comment style
 
-GOOD:
+#### COMMENTS
-```
+
+1. ##### Use C++ comment line style than C comment style.
+
+  * ###### Good:
+    ```
     // Two lines comment
     // Use still C++ comment line style
-```
+    ```
-BAD:
+
-```
+  * ###### Bad:
+    ```
     /*
     Please don't piss me off with that
     */
-```
+    ```
 
 
-####BEST PRACTICES
 
-* Use C++11/14 whenever it is possible
+#### BEST PRACTICES
 
-* Use C++11 member initialization feature whenever it is possible
+1. ##### Use C++11/14 whenever it is possible
-```c
+
-class Foo
+1. ##### Use C++11 member initialization feature whenever it is possible
-{
+
+  ```cpp
+  class Foo
+  {
       int value = 0;
-};
+  };
-```
+  ```
 
-* Prefer this form :
+1. ##### Prefer this form:
-```c
+  ```cpp
   ++i
-```
+  ```
-   to
+
-```c
+  **to:**
+  ```cpp
   i++
-```
+  ```
-   (It does not change anything for builtin types but it would bring consistency)
+  (It does not change anything for built-in types but it would bring consistency)
 
+1. ##### Avoid using pointers. Prefer references. You might need the variable to be assigned a NULL value: in this case the NULL value has semantics and must be checked. Wherever possible, use a SmartPtr instead of old-school pointers.
 
-* Avoid using pointers. Prefer references. You might need the variable to
+1. ##### Avoid using new if you can use automatic variable. However, avoid `shared_ptr` as much as possible. Prefer `unique_ptr` instead.
-  be assigned a NULL value: in this case the NULL value has semantics and must
-  be checked. Wherever possible, use a SmartPtr instead of old-school pointers.
 
-* Avoid using new if you can use automatic variable.
+1. ##### Don't place any "using namespace" directives in headers.
-  However, avoid `shared_ptr` as much as possible. Prefer `unique_ptr` instead.
 
-* Don't place any "using namespace" directives in headers
+1. ##### Compile time is without incidence. Increasing compile time to reduce execution time is encouraged.
 
-* Compile time is without incidence. Increasing compile time to reduce execution
+1. ##### Code legibility and length is less important than easy and fast end-user experience.
-  time is encouraged.
-
-* Code legibility and length is less important than easy and fast end-user experience.