Software Engineering Documentation

A Guide to Eiffel Syntax

• Detailed Syntax

Online API - searchable API

Eiffel Method and Language - main Eiffel documentation

Eiffel Essentials - includes introduction to agents, BON notation, style guidelines and syntax keywords

A Sense of Style - a guide to choosing suitable class/feature names and code formatting. For variable naming, the following has been suggested:

• a_var — feature arguments with exceptions for easily understood arguments like `i' or `x' or `y' (i.e. counters or typical math symbols).
• l_var — local variables with same exceptions as rgument variables
• ic_var — across-loop ITERATION_CURSORs
• al_var — attachment tests where a local is needed (i.e. if attached {STRING} l_my_string as al_my_string then … end)
• t_var — some instances of named-TUPLE-items, where one needs to be reminded in places beyond where the TUPLE is defined that the object is in fact a TUPLE, and not a typical class with attribute features. This “coding standard” rule for me is squishy.
• Style Guidelines

Tuples. Tuple Example.

Agents. Simplified notation.

Snippets of Eiffel Code (login with anonymous, no passwd required).

Void Safety.

• Ending Null Pointer Crashes; Void safety relies on type declarations and static analysis.