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This is really two questions:

a) what do you prefer when playing
b) what do you do when notating

When there are accidentals on passing tones, I've seen (and been taught) three different rules:

1) sharps in sharp keys, flats in flat keys
2) sharps when ascending, flats when descending
3) look ahead in the measure and minimize cancellations

It seems to me that 2) and 3) are related (usually, 2 and 3 will agree).

So...which is "right"? 1), 2), 3), or...???

I think the most important thing here is to ask "what note of the scale is this?"

e.g. if some idiot writes D E F G A A# Db D (and I've seen this in computer generated piano parts that I've been trying to sight read) it makes no sense at all. BUT, if someone writes D E F G A Bb C# D your eyes glance over it without looking at each and every note and your brain instantly tells your fingers - "roar straight up the D harmonic minor scale".

In C major something like G Ab(passing note) G doesn't make much sense, whereas G G# A does make sense as "fifth note, sharpened fifth, sixth. The sharpened fifth leading up to the sixth note of the scale is very logical and easy to sight read. It also makes sense harmonically as the harmony under the G# to A would probably be either an E seventh leading to an A minor (Note the E seventh may take the form of a dominant minor ninth with the root omitted - i.e. extend the chord E G# B D up to F and get rid of the bottom E) or a C seventh with a sharp fifth leading to an F chord.

This all falls into place very easily in C major but when you transpose it into other keys you might find the "sharps ascending, flats descending" thing starts to break down.

When I'm trying to play something in some remote key signature like six flats and someone has written E natural thinking that it's easier to read than F flat I find it actually makes it harder because it doesn't make sense and I have to read each and every note as an individual entity with no connection to the other notes rather than just identifying the scale and playing it.

To illustrate my point - writing E natural instead of F flat in G flat major is the same as writing E sharp instead of F natural in G major or writing A sharp instead of B flat in C major.

If a note is the sharpened second note of the scale then write that - don't write a flattened third - they lead different places and imply different underlying harmony.

I'm assuming no one will want me to elaborate further on this.

Regards

Gerard

Hmm, I just re read the original post - I'll try to address the question more directly.

1) sharps in sharp keys, flats in flat keys
2) sharps when ascending, flats when descending
3) look ahead in the measure and minimize cancellations

If you're writing a straight out chromatic scale then one and two probably apply.

If you're writing something more melodic then I think my first post becomes relevant.

E.g. if you're writing something like consecutive major thirds ascending chromatically then each major third needs to look like a major third - i.e. don't write E followed by Ab - it looks like some sort of altered fourth and you're brain will start searching through the various tri tones around that area before finally figuring out thats it's an enharmonic equivalent of a major third, whereas if it had been written as E followed by G# in the first place you would have instantly recognised it as the first and third from an E major arpeggio and your fingers would just hit the right notes as an automatic reflex.

It's all about being able to recognise familiar patterns without having to read every note.

Regards

Gerard