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  • P PIEBALDconsult

    Must be nice where you work.

    L Offline
    L Offline
    Lost User
    wrote on last edited by
    #3

    I wasn't clear - this was a quote from a cow-worker. My comments, unfortunately, were not KSS so I couldn't post them here.

    MVVM# - See how I did MVVM my way ___________________________________________ Man, you're a god. - walterhevedeich 26/05/2011 .\\axxx (That's an 'M')

    P L 2 Replies Last reply
    0
    • L Lost User

      "My code doesn't need comments because it is self documenting, all methods are small and have single functionality, and any business documentation should be provided by the specification and not the code." Discuss.

      MVVM# - See how I did MVVM my way ___________________________________________ Man, you're a god. - walterhevedeich 26/05/2011 .\\axxx (That's an 'M')

      L Offline
      L Offline
      Lost User
      wrote on last edited by
      #4

      If you don't need comments you're not doing it right, sunshine.

      1 Reply Last reply
      0
      • L Lost User

        "My code doesn't need comments because it is self documenting, all methods are small and have single functionality, and any business documentation should be provided by the specification and not the code." Discuss.

        MVVM# - See how I did MVVM my way ___________________________________________ Man, you're a god. - walterhevedeich 26/05/2011 .\\axxx (That's an 'M')

        A Offline
        A Offline
        AspDotNetDev
        wrote on last edited by
        #5

        Simples:

        double CalculateTax(double fine) {
        var notAComment1 = "Calculate the tax based on the rate from the database.";
        return fine * GetTaxRate();
        }

        Seriously, though, I like comments, even for private members. And I like everything (except for constants and member variables, which typically have a corresponding property) to have a comment. I mostly read the comments rather than the code when I'm quickly navigating through code. I don't want a funky looking uncommented section to slow me down. I also write XML comments so intellisense helps me avoid having to go to the definition to find more info.

        Thou mewling ill-breeding pignut!

        L P T 3 Replies Last reply
        0
        • A AspDotNetDev

          Simples:

          double CalculateTax(double fine) {
          var notAComment1 = "Calculate the tax based on the rate from the database.";
          return fine * GetTaxRate();
          }

          Seriously, though, I like comments, even for private members. And I like everything (except for constants and member variables, which typically have a corresponding property) to have a comment. I mostly read the comments rather than the code when I'm quickly navigating through code. I don't want a funky looking uncommented section to slow me down. I also write XML comments so intellisense helps me avoid having to go to the definition to find more info.

          Thou mewling ill-breeding pignut!

          L Offline
          L Offline
          Lost User
          wrote on last edited by
          #6

          I think comments are worth their weight so ling as they are written well - describing the business reasons not the technology (unless the tech is crafty, unusual or complex) when I sit down to write a method, I start by calling it something

          public double CalculateTax(double fine)
          {
          }

          Then I comment it

          ///
          /// Calculate the tax, taking into account the fine passed.
          /// Requires that the tax rate is retrievable from the TaxService
          ///

          Then I might write some test code just to get it building

          ///
          /// Calculate the tax, taking into account the fine passed.
          /// Requires that the tax rate is retrievable from the TaxService
          ///
          public double CalculateTax(double fine)
          {
          // TODO: Perform the tax calculation
          return 34567.89;
          }

          Then I start to flesh out the method by way of comments

          ///
          /// Calculate the tax, taking into account the fine passed.
          /// Requires that the tax rate is retrievable from the TaxService
          ///
          public double CalculateTax(double fine)
          {
          // Get the tax rate using the appropriate service
          // calculate the fine (I think it is just fine * tax rate but need to check with spec!)
          }

          Then, finally, I write the code

          ///
          /// Calculate the tax, taking into account the fine passed.
          /// Requires that the tax rate is retrievable from the TaxService
          ///
          public double CalculateTax(double fine)
          {
          // Get the tax rate using the appropriate service
          double taxRate = GetTaxRate();
          // calculate the fine
          tax = taxRate * fine;

          return tax ;
          

          }

          That way, I can remember where I was if I get interrupted, the comments aren't an afterthought, they are a part of the process and, if I get hit by the Programmer bus, someone else should be able to see what I was doing. Obv. the example is small and trivial, but that's how I work and I fail to understand the 'don't need comments' brigade. What I do hate is/...

          // Multiply the rate by the amount
          return rate * amount;

          which is simply a case of bad commenting in my book - it is not necessary to comment every step

          MVVM# - See how I did MVVM my way ___________________________________________ Man, you're a god. - walterhevedeich 26/05/2011 .\\axxx (That's an 'M')

          A M N M C 9 Replies Last reply
          0
          • L Lost User

            I think comments are worth their weight so ling as they are written well - describing the business reasons not the technology (unless the tech is crafty, unusual or complex) when I sit down to write a method, I start by calling it something

            public double CalculateTax(double fine)
            {
            }

            Then I comment it

            ///
            /// Calculate the tax, taking into account the fine passed.
            /// Requires that the tax rate is retrievable from the TaxService
            ///

            Then I might write some test code just to get it building

            ///
            /// Calculate the tax, taking into account the fine passed.
            /// Requires that the tax rate is retrievable from the TaxService
            ///
            public double CalculateTax(double fine)
            {
            // TODO: Perform the tax calculation
            return 34567.89;
            }

            Then I start to flesh out the method by way of comments

            ///
            /// Calculate the tax, taking into account the fine passed.
            /// Requires that the tax rate is retrievable from the TaxService
            ///
            public double CalculateTax(double fine)
            {
            // Get the tax rate using the appropriate service
            // calculate the fine (I think it is just fine * tax rate but need to check with spec!)
            }

            Then, finally, I write the code

            ///
            /// Calculate the tax, taking into account the fine passed.
            /// Requires that the tax rate is retrievable from the TaxService
            ///
            public double CalculateTax(double fine)
            {
            // Get the tax rate using the appropriate service
            double taxRate = GetTaxRate();
            // calculate the fine
            tax = taxRate * fine;

            return tax ;
            

            }

            That way, I can remember where I was if I get interrupted, the comments aren't an afterthought, they are a part of the process and, if I get hit by the Programmer bus, someone else should be able to see what I was doing. Obv. the example is small and trivial, but that's how I work and I fail to understand the 'don't need comments' brigade. What I do hate is/...

            // Multiply the rate by the amount
            return rate * amount;

            which is simply a case of bad commenting in my book - it is not necessary to comment every step

            MVVM# - See how I did MVVM my way ___________________________________________ Man, you're a god. - walterhevedeich 26/05/2011 .\\axxx (That's an 'M')

            A Offline
            A Offline
            AspDotNetDev
            wrote on last edited by
            #7

            _Maxxx_ wrote:

            which is simply a case of bad commenting in my book - it is not necessary to comment every step

            True. The only time I write comments like that is out of aesthetic necessity. If there was a chunk of code above that line that had its own comment, but the comment didn't apply to that line, I might make a comment like that simply to maintain visual consistency.

            Thou mewling ill-breeding pignut!

            L 1 Reply Last reply
            0
            • A AspDotNetDev

              _Maxxx_ wrote:

              which is simply a case of bad commenting in my book - it is not necessary to comment every step

              True. The only time I write comments like that is out of aesthetic necessity. If there was a chunk of code above that line that had its own comment, but the comment didn't apply to that line, I might make a comment like that simply to maintain visual consistency.

              Thou mewling ill-breeding pignut!

              L Offline
              L Offline
              Lost User
              wrote on last edited by
              #8

              :thumbsup: I came across some code only a few minutes ago which was headed by a "Reset the totals". the next three lines did as advertised. the following six did all sorts of unrelated stuff; even a comment // do unrelated stuff would make it easier to read! ** Caveat. Mine is not the best code in the world, and I am not the 'best' programmer in the world. It's easy to criticise other's code and to say how you would have done it differently; what I objected to in the original case was the assumption that their code was so beautiful it didn't need comments, and that if info was required one should look at the spec (which , in the real world, doesn't actually exist!)

              MVVM# - See how I did MVVM my way ___________________________________________ Man, you're a god. - walterhevedeich 26/05/2011 .\\axxx (That's an 'M')

              1 Reply Last reply
              0
              • A AspDotNetDev

                Simples:

                double CalculateTax(double fine) {
                var notAComment1 = "Calculate the tax based on the rate from the database.";
                return fine * GetTaxRate();
                }

                Seriously, though, I like comments, even for private members. And I like everything (except for constants and member variables, which typically have a corresponding property) to have a comment. I mostly read the comments rather than the code when I'm quickly navigating through code. I don't want a funky looking uncommented section to slow me down. I also write XML comments so intellisense helps me avoid having to go to the definition to find more info.

                Thou mewling ill-breeding pignut!

                P Offline
                P Offline
                PIEBALDconsult
                wrote on last edited by
                #9

                [Description("Calculate the tax based on the rate from the database.")]
                double CalculateTax(double fine) {
                return fine * GetTaxRate();
                }

                Now you can find it via Reflection as well. :cool:

                L 1 Reply Last reply
                0
                • L Lost User

                  I wasn't clear - this was a quote from a cow-worker. My comments, unfortunately, were not KSS so I couldn't post them here.

                  MVVM# - See how I did MVVM my way ___________________________________________ Man, you're a god. - walterhevedeich 26/05/2011 .\\axxx (That's an 'M')

                  P Offline
                  P Offline
                  PIEBALDconsult
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #10

                  I was discussing.

                  1 Reply Last reply
                  0
                  • P PIEBALDconsult

                    [Description("Calculate the tax based on the rate from the database.")]
                    double CalculateTax(double fine) {
                    return fine * GetTaxRate();
                    }

                    Now you can find it via Reflection as well. :cool:

                    L Offline
                    L Offline
                    Lost User
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #11

                    Would't you have to do

                    [(".esabatad eht morf etar eht no desab xat eht etaluclaC")noitpircseD]

                    MVVM# - See how I did MVVM my way ___________________________________________ Man, you're a god. - walterhevedeich 26/05/2011 .\\axxx (That's an 'M')

                    P 1 Reply Last reply
                    0
                    • L Lost User

                      Would't you have to do

                      [(".esabatad eht morf etar eht no desab xat eht etaluclaC")noitpircseD]

                      MVVM# - See how I did MVVM my way ___________________________________________ Man, you're a god. - walterhevedeich 26/05/2011 .\\axxx (That's an 'M')

                      P Offline
                      P Offline
                      PIEBALDconsult
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #12

                      No, because the compiler doesn't care how you view it.

                      1 Reply Last reply
                      0
                      • L Lost User

                        "My code doesn't need comments because it is self documenting, all methods are small and have single functionality, and any business documentation should be provided by the specification and not the code." Discuss.

                        MVVM# - See how I did MVVM my way ___________________________________________ Man, you're a god. - walterhevedeich 26/05/2011 .\\axxx (That's an 'M')

                        C Offline
                        C Offline
                        Chris Maunder
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #13

                        I already have[^]. I'm no longer willing to even entertain the discussion anymore. Every "good" example I've seen where commenting isn't needed is contrived. The real world is messy. Use comments.

                        cheers, Chris Maunder The Code Project | Co-founder Microsoft C++ MVP

                        B G 2 Replies Last reply
                        0
                        • L Lost User

                          "My code doesn't need comments because it is self documenting, all methods are small and have single functionality, and any business documentation should be provided by the specification and not the code." Discuss.

                          MVVM# - See how I did MVVM my way ___________________________________________ Man, you're a god. - walterhevedeich 26/05/2011 .\\axxx (That's an 'M')

                          _ Offline
                          _ Offline
                          _Damian S_
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #14

                          I initial and date all my code changes in a comment near the change - you have no idea how many times I have been able to point to that in code for a client and say "No, noone has changed this since..." which is particularly handy if something strange goes on...

                          Silence is golden... but duct tape is silver!! Booger Mobile - My bright green 1964 Ford Falcon - check out the blog here!! | If you feel generous - make a donation to Camp Quality!!

                          A J 2 Replies Last reply
                          0
                          • _ _Damian S_

                            I initial and date all my code changes in a comment near the change - you have no idea how many times I have been able to point to that in code for a client and say "No, noone has changed this since..." which is particularly handy if something strange goes on...

                            Silence is golden... but duct tape is silver!! Booger Mobile - My bright green 1964 Ford Falcon - check out the blog here!! | If you feel generous - make a donation to Camp Quality!!

                            A Offline
                            A Offline
                            AspDotNetDev
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #15

                            So you aren't using source control? :((

                            Thou mewling ill-breeding pignut!

                            _ 1 Reply Last reply
                            0
                            • L Lost User

                              I wasn't clear - this was a quote from a cow-worker. My comments, unfortunately, were not KSS so I couldn't post them here.

                              MVVM# - See how I did MVVM my way ___________________________________________ Man, you're a god. - walterhevedeich 26/05/2011 .\\axxx (That's an 'M')

                              L Offline
                              L Offline
                              Lost User
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #16

                              _Maxxx_ wrote:

                              cow-worker

                              Someone who works the cow?

                              K E 2 Replies Last reply
                              0
                              • L Lost User

                                "My code doesn't need comments because it is self documenting, all methods are small and have single functionality, and any business documentation should be provided by the specification and not the code." Discuss.

                                MVVM# - See how I did MVVM my way ___________________________________________ Man, you're a god. - walterhevedeich 26/05/2011 .\\axxx (That's an 'M')

                                M Offline
                                M Offline
                                Mark_Wallace
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #17

                                Bollocks.

                                I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!

                                1 Reply Last reply
                                0
                                • L Lost User

                                  I think comments are worth their weight so ling as they are written well - describing the business reasons not the technology (unless the tech is crafty, unusual or complex) when I sit down to write a method, I start by calling it something

                                  public double CalculateTax(double fine)
                                  {
                                  }

                                  Then I comment it

                                  ///
                                  /// Calculate the tax, taking into account the fine passed.
                                  /// Requires that the tax rate is retrievable from the TaxService
                                  ///

                                  Then I might write some test code just to get it building

                                  ///
                                  /// Calculate the tax, taking into account the fine passed.
                                  /// Requires that the tax rate is retrievable from the TaxService
                                  ///
                                  public double CalculateTax(double fine)
                                  {
                                  // TODO: Perform the tax calculation
                                  return 34567.89;
                                  }

                                  Then I start to flesh out the method by way of comments

                                  ///
                                  /// Calculate the tax, taking into account the fine passed.
                                  /// Requires that the tax rate is retrievable from the TaxService
                                  ///
                                  public double CalculateTax(double fine)
                                  {
                                  // Get the tax rate using the appropriate service
                                  // calculate the fine (I think it is just fine * tax rate but need to check with spec!)
                                  }

                                  Then, finally, I write the code

                                  ///
                                  /// Calculate the tax, taking into account the fine passed.
                                  /// Requires that the tax rate is retrievable from the TaxService
                                  ///
                                  public double CalculateTax(double fine)
                                  {
                                  // Get the tax rate using the appropriate service
                                  double taxRate = GetTaxRate();
                                  // calculate the fine
                                  tax = taxRate * fine;

                                  return tax ;
                                  

                                  }

                                  That way, I can remember where I was if I get interrupted, the comments aren't an afterthought, they are a part of the process and, if I get hit by the Programmer bus, someone else should be able to see what I was doing. Obv. the example is small and trivial, but that's how I work and I fail to understand the 'don't need comments' brigade. What I do hate is/...

                                  // Multiply the rate by the amount
                                  return rate * amount;

                                  which is simply a case of bad commenting in my book - it is not necessary to comment every step

                                  MVVM# - See how I did MVVM my way ___________________________________________ Man, you're a god. - walterhevedeich 26/05/2011 .\\axxx (That's an 'M')

                                  M Offline
                                  M Offline
                                  Mark_Wallace
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #18

                                  _Maxxx_ wrote:

                                  What I do hate is/...

                                  // Multiply the rate by the amount
                                  return rate * amount;

                                  which is simply a case of bad commenting in my book

                                  I agree. It's far too much typing, and excludes reuse of the function. It should be:

                                  // Multiply
                                  return a * b;

                                  At least, that's what I'm used to seeing.

                                  I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!

                                  1 Reply Last reply
                                  0
                                  • L Lost User

                                    "My code doesn't need comments because it is self documenting, all methods are small and have single functionality, and any business documentation should be provided by the specification and not the code." Discuss.

                                    MVVM# - See how I did MVVM my way ___________________________________________ Man, you're a god. - walterhevedeich 26/05/2011 .\\axxx (That's an 'M')

                                    L Offline
                                    L Offline
                                    Lost User
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #19

                                    That's obviously a lie. Self documenting functions are nice, but you can't do anything nontrivial that way. Then again, maybe his code only does trivial things? :)

                                    1 Reply Last reply
                                    0
                                    • L Lost User

                                      "My code doesn't need comments because it is self documenting, all methods are small and have single functionality, and any business documentation should be provided by the specification and not the code." Discuss.

                                      MVVM# - See how I did MVVM my way ___________________________________________ Man, you're a god. - walterhevedeich 26/05/2011 .\\axxx (That's an 'M')

                                      P Offline
                                      P Offline
                                      Pete OHanlon
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #20

                                      Round flying thing. Discus.

                                      *pre-emptive celebratory nipple tassle jiggle* - Sean Ewington

                                      "Mind bleach! Send me mind bleach!" - Nagy Vilmos

                                      CodeStash - Online Snippet Management | My blog | MoXAML PowerToys | Mole 2010 - debugging made easier

                                      L 1 Reply Last reply
                                      0
                                      • L Lost User

                                        "My code doesn't need comments because it is self documenting, all methods are small and have single functionality, and any business documentation should be provided by the specification and not the code." Discuss.

                                        MVVM# - See how I did MVVM my way ___________________________________________ Man, you're a god. - walterhevedeich 26/05/2011 .\\axxx (That's an 'M')

                                        N Offline
                                        N Offline
                                        Nagy Vilmos
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #21

                                        The correct response to such a statement is:

                                        "Just because your mother slept with her brother doesn't mean the rest of us will agree it's a good idea."


                                        Panic, Chaos, Destruction. My work here is done. Drink. Get drunk. Fall over - P O'H OK, I will win to day or my name isn't Ethel Crudacre! - DD Ethel Crudacre I cannot live by bread alone. Bacon and ketchup are needed as well. - Trollslayer Have a bit more patience with newbies. Of course some of them act dumb - they're often *students*, for heaven's sake - Terry Pratchett

                                        1 Reply Last reply
                                        0
                                        • L Lost User

                                          I think comments are worth their weight so ling as they are written well - describing the business reasons not the technology (unless the tech is crafty, unusual or complex) when I sit down to write a method, I start by calling it something

                                          public double CalculateTax(double fine)
                                          {
                                          }

                                          Then I comment it

                                          ///
                                          /// Calculate the tax, taking into account the fine passed.
                                          /// Requires that the tax rate is retrievable from the TaxService
                                          ///

                                          Then I might write some test code just to get it building

                                          ///
                                          /// Calculate the tax, taking into account the fine passed.
                                          /// Requires that the tax rate is retrievable from the TaxService
                                          ///
                                          public double CalculateTax(double fine)
                                          {
                                          // TODO: Perform the tax calculation
                                          return 34567.89;
                                          }

                                          Then I start to flesh out the method by way of comments

                                          ///
                                          /// Calculate the tax, taking into account the fine passed.
                                          /// Requires that the tax rate is retrievable from the TaxService
                                          ///
                                          public double CalculateTax(double fine)
                                          {
                                          // Get the tax rate using the appropriate service
                                          // calculate the fine (I think it is just fine * tax rate but need to check with spec!)
                                          }

                                          Then, finally, I write the code

                                          ///
                                          /// Calculate the tax, taking into account the fine passed.
                                          /// Requires that the tax rate is retrievable from the TaxService
                                          ///
                                          public double CalculateTax(double fine)
                                          {
                                          // Get the tax rate using the appropriate service
                                          double taxRate = GetTaxRate();
                                          // calculate the fine
                                          tax = taxRate * fine;

                                          return tax ;
                                          

                                          }

                                          That way, I can remember where I was if I get interrupted, the comments aren't an afterthought, they are a part of the process and, if I get hit by the Programmer bus, someone else should be able to see what I was doing. Obv. the example is small and trivial, but that's how I work and I fail to understand the 'don't need comments' brigade. What I do hate is/...

                                          // Multiply the rate by the amount
                                          return rate * amount;

                                          which is simply a case of bad commenting in my book - it is not necessary to comment every step

                                          MVVM# - See how I did MVVM my way ___________________________________________ Man, you're a god. - walterhevedeich 26/05/2011 .\\axxx (That's an 'M')

                                          N Offline
                                          N Offline
                                          Nagy Vilmos
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #22

                                          I so agree with that. When I worked, I tried to impart the huge value of Comment First Development. It is always easier to describe what you want to do then it is to write the code. In the trivial cases it can be annoying, especially on accessor methods [properties to you C# boys], but even when you get to something as simple as your tax calc having the comments in place makes a great difference. The second, and not to be ignored, advantage of CFD is that it is very easy to leave off the comment once you've finished the code.


                                          Panic, Chaos, Destruction. My work here is done. Drink. Get drunk. Fall over - P O'H OK, I will win to day or my name isn't Ethel Crudacre! - DD Ethel Crudacre I cannot live by bread alone. Bacon and ketchup are needed as well. - Trollslayer Have a bit more patience with newbies. Of course some of them act dumb - they're often *students*, for heaven's sake - Terry Pratchett

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