CS Writing Style - Generic

This page contains some general rules on good writing style in CS courses.

Attribution and File Header

Each file should have comments at the top of the file giving a summary of what the file is. This should include the following elements.

• Author: your name
• Contents: what is this file for (e.g., hw 1 cs 500)
• Date: date handed in
• Summary: summary of a sentence or few - what does the program do or what is the file about, what changes did you make, etc.
• Attributions: list of sources you used. If you used AI you need to list the prompts you used, which AI was used, and if possible a link back to the AI's responses. If you discussed with anyone, list their names and the amount of discussion. If anyone looked at your code, you need to list that. If you copy/pasted code from anywhere, you need to indicate that and give a link to where you got it from. If you started with a file from class, you list that as well. If you have no attributions to list, then just put "none".

General Rules

• Proofreading: you should proofread your work to check for spelling, typos, etc. You should also reorganize as seems appropriate while you proofread: your first draft may be a complete solution, but when reading through it you may see a clearer or more direct way to organize your work.
• Be concise: be as concise as possible while still giving as much detail as the instructor wants. A general rule is to include a little more detail than the instructor does for in-class examples. An instructor might choose to return your assignment without reading it if it is too long. Being concise is valued in computer science (and in math and the sciences in general).
• Write for the intended audience: you should generally assume your intended audience is a CS student who has been in the lectures for your course but has not completed the assignment themself. In particular, this means you need to justify your answers and your work and explain it well.
• Complete sentences: for essays, short answer questions, and proofs you should write in complete sentences using good grammar.
• Show your work: as mentioned above, you should include as much detail as the instructor does in class. Note that you are being graded on your understanding, not just for finding the correct answer. So you need to be convincing the instructor that you know how to do this problem.
• Plagiarism: see CS course Policies and additional details in Jeff Kinne Course Policies.
• Handwriting: if turning in something that is hand written, your handwriting needs to be legible. If you turn in something that is not legible, it may be given a grade of 0.
• Page/problem order: turn in your work with the problems in the order they were assigned (e.g. 1, 2, 3) to make it easier for the instructor to find your answers to each problem. If scanning in work, make sure the pages are rotated properly in the file.