I have to admit I had never heard this one before; usually when you hear debates about coding style and quality, they are centered around domestic versus off-shore coders, or the schools they came from, or the language they originally learned in. But emma Grattan of database software company Ingres says that there are notable differences in coding styles between men and women.

If Emma is to be believed (according to this WSJ story from Rebecca Buckman) the differences fit all the typical stereotypes: guys build code designed to show off and do so without adequately documenting or explaining it; women are more considerate in commenting code and build with a greater eye toward the possibility of other people needing to work with it in the future.

I have never noticed such general distinctions myself, but freely admit that the sample size of female programmers I have worked with is probably insufficient for such generalizations. I have seen good and bad, methodical and sloppy, programmers from both genders. I'm curious, though, as to whether or not anyone else has noticed a general trend in their own experiences.