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Style guidelines for Status client specifications

Spellcheck

To run the spellchecker locally, you must install pyspelling.

It can then be run with the following command:

pyspelling -c spellcheck.yml

Words that should be ignored or are unrecognized must be added to the wordlist.

Markdown Verification

We use remark to verify our markdown. You can easily run this tool simply by using our npm package:

npm install
npm run lint

Language mode

  • Specifications SHOULD use formal technical language (different from academic language).
  • Where appropriate, language SHOULD NOT use personal pronouns.
  • Avoid using the passive voice when being specific.
  • In places where the passive voice is appropriate but makes the subject ambiguous, append the passive voice with "by subject". Alternatively restructure the sentence to be in the active voice adding the sentence subject.

For further reading on writing technical documents please read the Google Technical Writing article on Active voice vs. passive voice.

Examples:

Personal pronouns

Informal:

In this specification, we describe

Formal:

This specification describes

Informal:

If you want to run a Waku node and receive messages from Status clients, it must be properly configured.

Formal:

A Waku node must be properly configured to receive messages from Status clients.

Passive voice

Passive voice:

a corresponding confirmation is broadcast by one or more peers

Active voice:

one or more peers broadcast a corresponding confirmation

In the case where the object of the sentence needs to be highlighted or given prominence the passive voice is appropriate. However, pay attention to not introduce an ambiguous subject if communicating specific information is your goal.

Appropriate use of the passive voice

The Batch Acknowledge packet is followed by a keccak256 hash of the envelope's batch data (raw bytes).

The subject of the sentence is "a keccak256 hash", but the sentence wants to highlight the Batch Acknowledge.

Ambiguous subject

In many cases sentences written in passive voice may be grammatically correct but hide that the sentence lacks a specified subject.

Ambiguous:

A message confirmation is sent using Batch Acknowledge

Active specific:

A node sends a message confirmation using Batch Acknowledge

Passive specific:

A message confirmation is sent by a node using Batch Acknowledge

Notice that the ambiguous sentence infers or omits the subject. Making it unclear what or who performs an action on the object of the sentence.

In the example ambiguous sentence it is not stated what or who is sending a message confirmation.