UKHeliBob:
...but as soon as someone else needs to read and understand your code,
You should check out the Drupal-freaks. There's a whole module that does nothing but check for conformity to module style and structure standards. It's partly for legibility but also for potential module version auto-upgraders. That's the -ultimate- intent, though still a work in progress. It makes sense. If one version is defined and cast in stone, and the next version similarly cast, then an upgrader could perform the upgrade automagically. The current version doesn't some of the work, but not very much, it's a long term goal. Drupal version upgrades are at about 1.5-year intervals, but modules can be so spectacularly difficult to upgrade that authors often don't, or they leave, and so the actual user who NEEDS a particular module -can't- upgrade.
Conformity is also used for tools that pull info out of module definitions for other documentation purposes, test generators, compatibility analysis (with other modules,) and version control.
One thing is for sure. We are all going to differ in our views...
+1
...and we are all correct in our own views on this subject.
Mmmm.... that's a little argumentative. I've never thought and of MY views to be incorrect. Otherwise, why would I have that view? By default, wouldn't that make -your- view incorrect? But I guess since I've agree that we can DIFFER I'll let it slide. 