Coding guidelines

This document outlines the recommended coding guidelines for World Locking Tools for Unity. Most of these suggestions follow the recommended standards from MSDN.

Script license information headers

All scripts posted to World Locking Tools for Unity should have the standard License header attached, exactly as shown below:

// Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
// Licensed under the MIT License. See LICENSE in the project root for license information.

Any script files submitted without the license header will be rejected.

Function / Method summary headers

All public classes, structs, enums, functions, properties, fields posted should be described as to their purpose and use, exactly as shown below:

    /// <summary>
    /// The Controller definition defines the Controller as defined by the SDK / Unity.
    /// </summary>
    public struct Controller
    {
        /// <summary>
        /// The ID assigned to the Controller
        /// </summary>
        public string ID;
    }

This rule ensures documentation is properly generated and disseminated for all classes, methods, and properties.

Any script files submitted without proper summary tags will be rejected.

Namespace rules

All classes and extensions should be scoped by namespace, chosen appropriately from the following namespaces.

Microsoft.MixedReality.WorldLocking.Core - Foundation code fulfilling the basic service of World Locking Tools.

Microsoft.MixedReality.WorldLocking.Tools - Optional features supplementing development on top of World Locking Tools. Examples are diagnostic visualizations, and baseline implementations of application event handlers.

Microsoft.MixedReality.WorldLocking.Examples - Specific implementations demonstrating how to use World Locking Tools features, and the benefits gained.

Related features within one of the above namespaces may be grouped by extending to a new sub-namespace.

Do

namespace Microsoft.MixedReality.WorldLocking.Examples.Placement
{
    // Interface, class or data type definition.
}

Omitting the namespace for an interface, class or data type will cause your change to be blocked.

Spaces vs Tabs

Be sure to use four spaces instead of tabs when contributing to this project.

Additionally, ensure that spaces are added for conditional / loop functions like if / while / for

Don't

private Foo () // < - space between Foo and ()
{
    if(Bar==null) // <- no space between if and ()
    {
        DoThing();
    }
    
    while(true) // <- no space between while and ()
    {
        Do();
    }
}

Do

private Foo()
{
   if (Bar==null)
   {
       DoThing();
   }
   
   while (true)
   {
       Do();
   }
}

Spacing

Do not add additional spaces between square brackets and parenthesis:

Don't

private Foo()
{
    int[ ] var = new int [ 9 ];
    Vector2 vector = new Vector2 ( 0f, 10f );
}

Do

private Foo()
{
    int[] var = new int[9];
    Vector2 vector = new Vector2(0f, 10f);
}

Naming Conventions

Always use PascalCase for public / protected / virtual properties, and camelCase for private properties and fields.

The only exception to this is for data structures that require the fields to be serialized by the JsonUtility.

Don't

public string myProperty; // <- Starts with a lower case letter
private string MyProperty; // <- Starts with an uppercase case letter

Do

public string MyProperty;
protected string MyProperty;
private string myProperty;

Access Modifiers

Always declare an access modifier for all fields, properties, and methods.

All Unity API Methods should be private by default, unless you need to override them in a derived class. In this case protected should be used.

Fields should always be private, with public or protected property accessors.

Don't

// protected field should be private
protected int myVariable = 0;

// property should have protected setter
public int MyVariable { get { return myVariable; } }

// No public / private access modifiers
void Foo() { }
void Bar() { }

Do

public int MyVariable { get; protected set; } = 0;

private void Foo() { }
public void Bar() { }
protected virtual void FooBar() { }

Use Braces

Always use braces after each statement block, and place them on the next line.

Don't

private Foo()
{
    if (Bar==null) // <- missing braces surrounding if action
        DoThing();
    else
        DoTheOtherThing();
}

Don't

private Foo() { // <- Open bracket on same line
    if (Bar==null) DoThing(); <- if action on same line with no surrounding brackets 
    else DoTheOtherThing();
}

Do

private Foo()
{
    if (Bar==true)
    {
        DoThing();
    }
    else
    {
        DoTheOtherThing();
    }
}

Public classes, structs, and enums should all go in their own files.

If the class, struct, or enum can be made private, then it's okay to be included in the same file. This inclusion avoids compilations issues with Unity and ensures that proper code abstraction occurs. It also reduces conflicts and breaking changes when code needs to change.

Don't

public class MyClass
{
    public struct MyStruct() { }
    public enum MyEnumType() { }
    public class MyNestedClass() { }
}

Do

// Private references for use inside the class only
public class MyClass
{
   private struct MyStruct() { }
   private enum MyEnumType() { }
   private class MyNestedClass() { }
}

Do

MyStruct.cs

// Public Struct / Enum definitions for use in your class.  Try to make them generic for reuse.
public struct MyStruct
{
   public string Var1;
   public string Var2;
}

MyEnumType.cs

public enum MuEnumType
{
    Value1,
    Value2 // <- note, no "," on last value to denote end of list.
}

MyClass.cs

public class MyClass
{
    private MyStruct myStructreference;
    private MyEnumType myEnumReference;
}

Order Enums for appropriate extension.

It is critical that if an Enum is likely to be extended in the future, to order defaults at the top of the Enum. This ordering ensures Enum indexes are not affected with new additions.

Don't

public enum SDKType
{
    WindowsMR,
    OpenVR,
    OpenXR,
    None, <- default value not at start
    Other <- anonymous value left to end of enum
}

Do

   /// <summary>
   /// The SDKType lists the VR SDK's that are supported by the MRTK
   /// Initially, this lists proposed SDK's, not all may be implemented at this time (please see ReleaseNotes for more details)
   /// </summary>
   public enum SDKType
   {
       /// <summary>
       /// No specified type or Standalone / non-VR type
       /// </summary>
       None = 0,
       /// <summary>
       /// Undefined SDK.
       /// </summary>
       Other,
       /// <summary>
       /// The Windows 10 Mixed reality SDK provided by the Universal Windows Platform (UWP), for Immersive MR headsets and HoloLens. 
       /// </summary>
       WindowsMR,
       /// <summary>
       /// The OpenVR platform provided by Unity (does not support the downloadable SteamVR SDK).
       /// </summary>
       OpenVR,
       /// <summary>
       /// The OpenXR platform. SDK to be determined once released.
       /// </summary>
       OpenXR
   }

End Enum names with "Type"

Enum names should clearly indicate their nature by using the Type suffix.

Don't

public enum Ordering
{
    First,
    Second,
    Third
}

public enum OrderingEnum
{
    First,
    Second,
    Third
}

Do

public enum OrderingType
{
    First = 0,
    Second,
    Third
}

Review Enum use for Bitfields

If there is a possibility for an enum to require multiple states as a value, for example, Handedness = Left & Right. Then the Enum needs to be decorated with BitFlags to enable it to be used correctly

The Handedness.cs file has a concrete implementation for this

Don't

public enum Handedness
{
    None,
    Left,
    Right
}

Do

[flags]
public enum HandednessType
{
   None = 0 << 0,
   Left = 1 << 0,
   Right = 1 << 1,
   Both = Left | Right
}

Best Practices, including Unity recommendations

Some of the target platforms of this project require to take performance into consideration. With this in mind, always be careful when allocating memory in frequently called code in tight update loops or algorithms.

Encapsulation

Always use private fields and public properties if access to the field is needed from outside the class or struct. Be sure to co-locate the private field and the public property. This location makes it easier to see, at a glance, what backs the property and that the field is modifiable by script.

If you need to have the ability to edit your field in the inspector, it's best practice to follow the rules for Encapsulation and serialize your backing field.

The only exception to this is for data structures that require the fields to be serialized by the JsonUtility, where a data class is required to have all public fields for the serialization to work.

Don't

public float MyValue;

Do

// private field, only accessible within script (field is not serialized in Unity)
private float myValue;

Do

// Enable private field to be configurable only in editor (field is correctly serialized in Unity)
[SerializeField] 
private float myValue;

Don't

private float myValue1;
private float myValue2;

public float MyValue1
{
    get{ return myValue1; }
    set{ myValue1 = value }
}

public float MyValue2
{
    get{ return myValue2; }
    set{ myValue2 = value }
}

Do

// Enable field to be configurable in the editor and available externally to other scripts (field is correctly serialized in Unity)
[SerializeField]
[ToolTip("If using a tooltip, the text should match the public property's summary documentation, if appropriate.")]
private float myValue; // <- Notice we co-located the backing field above our corresponding property.

/// <summary>
/// If using a tooltip, the text should match the public property's summary documentation, if appropriate.
/// </summary>
public float MyValue
{
    get{ return myValue; }
    set{ myValue = value }
}

Use `for` instead of `foreach` when possible

In some cases a foreach is required, for example, when looping over an IEnumerable. But for performance benefit, avoid foreach when you can.

Don't

foreach(var item in items)

Do

int length = items.length; // cache reference to list/array length
for(int i=0; i < length; i++)

Cache values and serialize them in the scene/prefab whenever possible.

With the HoloLens in mind, it's best to optimize for performance and cache references in the scene or prefab to limit runtime memory allocations.

Don't

void Update()
{
    gameObject.GetComponent<Renderer>().Foo(Bar);
}

Do

[SerializeField] // To enable setting the reference in the inspector.
private Renderer myRenderer;

private void Awake()
{
   // If you didn't set it in the inspector, then we cache it on awake.
   if (myRenderer == null)
   {
       myRenderer = gameObject.GetComponent<Renderer>();
   }
}

private void Update()
{
   myRenderer.Foo(Bar);
}

Cache references to materials, do not call the ".material" each time.

Unity will create a new material each time you use ".material", which will cause a memory leak if not cleaned up properly.

Don't

public class MyClass
{
    void Update() 
    {
        Material myMaterial = GetComponent<Renderer>().material;
        myMaterial.SetColor("_Color", Color.White);
    }
}

Do

// Private references for use inside the class only
public class MyClass
{
   private Material cachedMaterial;

   private void Awake()
   {
       cachedMaterial = GetComponent<Renderer>().material;
   }

   void Update() 
   {
       cachedMaterial.SetColor("_Color", Color.White);
   }
   
   private void OnDestroy()
   {
       Destroy(cachedMaterial);
   }
}

Alternatively, use Unity's "SharedMaterial" property which does not create a new material each time it is referenced.

Use platform dependent compilation to ensure the Toolkit won't break the build on another platform

Use WINDOWS_UWP in order to use UWP-specific, non-Unity APIs. This define will prevent them from trying to run in the Editor or on unsupported platforms. This define is equivalent to UNITY_WSA && !UNITY_EDITOR and should be used in favor of.
Use UNITY_WSA to use UWP-specific Unity APIs, such as the UnityEngine.XR.WSA namespace. This will run in the Editor when the platform is set to UWP, and in built UWP apps.

This chart can help you decide which #if to use, depending on your use cases and the build settings you expect.

	UWP IL2CPP	UWP .NET	Editor
`UNITY_EDITOR`	False	False	True
`UNITY_WSA`	True	True	True
`WINDOWS_UWP`	True	True	False
`UNITY_WSA && !UNITY_EDITOR`	True	True	False
`ENABLE_WINMD_SUPPORT`	True	True	False
`NETFX_CORE`	False	True	False

Prefer DateTime.UtcNow over DateTime.Now

DateTime.UtcNow is faster than DateTime.Now. In previous performance investigations we've found that using DateTime.Now adds significant overhead especially when used in the Update() loop. Others have hit the same issue.

Prefer using DateTime.UtcNow unless you actually need the localized times (a legitimate reason may be you wanting to show the current time in the user's time zone). If you are dealing with relative times (that is, the delta between some last update and now), it's best to use DateTime.UtcNow to avoid the overhead of doing timezone conversions.

Coding guidelines

Script license information headers

Function / Method summary headers

Namespace rules

Do

Spaces vs Tabs

Don't

Do

Spacing

Don't

Do

Naming Conventions

Don't

Do

Access Modifiers

Don't

Do

Use Braces

Don't

Don't

Do

Public classes, structs, and enums should all go in their own files.

Don't

Do

Do

Order Enums for appropriate extension.

Don't

Do

End Enum names with "Type"

Don't

Do

Review Enum use for Bitfields

Don't

Do

Best Practices, including Unity recommendations

Encapsulation

Don't

Do

Do

Don't

Do

Use for instead of foreach when possible

Don't

Do

Cache values and serialize them in the scene/prefab whenever possible.

Don't

Do

Cache references to materials, do not call the ".material" each time.

Don't

Do

Use platform dependent compilation to ensure the Toolkit won't break the build on another platform

Prefer DateTime.UtcNow over DateTime.Now

Use `for` instead of `foreach` when possible