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  3. crap coding for myself. What variable names do you use?

crap coding for myself. What variable names do you use?

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  • R Offline
    R Offline
    rnbergren
    wrote on last edited by
    #1

    so frequently I find myself doing a proof of concept very short code that I am going to flush out later. Sometimes I even flush it. Pun intended. Anyway I frequently use variables like the following. astr - it is A String Temp table #ewww - because the data in the table is stinky at best. and so forth. I always promise myself to clean it up before I actually use it anywhere. Sometimes I even do. Does anyone else do this?

    To err is human to really elephant it up you need a computer

    M OriginalGriffO F D Sander RosselS 29 Replies Last reply
    0
    • R rnbergren

      so frequently I find myself doing a proof of concept very short code that I am going to flush out later. Sometimes I even flush it. Pun intended. Anyway I frequently use variables like the following. astr - it is A String Temp table #ewww - because the data in the table is stinky at best. and so forth. I always promise myself to clean it up before I actually use it anywhere. Sometimes I even do. Does anyone else do this?

      To err is human to really elephant it up you need a computer

      M Offline
      M Offline
      Marc Clifton
      wrote on last edited by
      #2

      rnbergren wrote:

      Does anyone else do this?

      Nope.

      rnbergren wrote:

      Sometimes I even do.

      Because "sometimes" is "usually never."

      Latest Articles:
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      OriginalGriffO 1 Reply Last reply
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      • R rnbergren

        so frequently I find myself doing a proof of concept very short code that I am going to flush out later. Sometimes I even flush it. Pun intended. Anyway I frequently use variables like the following. astr - it is A String Temp table #ewww - because the data in the table is stinky at best. and so forth. I always promise myself to clean it up before I actually use it anywhere. Sometimes I even do. Does anyone else do this?

        To err is human to really elephant it up you need a computer

        OriginalGriffO Online
        OriginalGriffO Online
        OriginalGriff
        wrote on last edited by
        #3

        I'm with Marc: never. Why not? Because you will not find the time to go back and correct it - it will be permanent. That's why I "do it right" even for throwaway apps: parameterized queries, proper names, no default control names from Visual Studio, and so forth. Do it right all the time, and you don't get into bad habits which enter production cycle.

        "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

        "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
        "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

        A 1 Reply Last reply
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        • R rnbergren

          so frequently I find myself doing a proof of concept very short code that I am going to flush out later. Sometimes I even flush it. Pun intended. Anyway I frequently use variables like the following. astr - it is A String Temp table #ewww - because the data in the table is stinky at best. and so forth. I always promise myself to clean it up before I actually use it anywhere. Sometimes I even do. Does anyone else do this?

          To err is human to really elephant it up you need a computer

          F Offline
          F Offline
          Forogar
          wrote on last edited by
          #4

          Nope - I write all code as if it is "production" code with proper naming, etc. One reason is to not have two styles of coding or naming conventions; it's just easier!

          - I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.

          1 Reply Last reply
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          • M Marc Clifton

            rnbergren wrote:

            Does anyone else do this?

            Nope.

            rnbergren wrote:

            Sometimes I even do.

            Because "sometimes" is "usually never."

            Latest Articles:
            Client-Side Type-Based Publisher/Subscriber, Exploring Synchronous, "Event-ed", and Worker Thread Subscriptions

            OriginalGriffO Online
            OriginalGriffO Online
            OriginalGriff
            wrote on last edited by
            #5

            Well said!

            "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!

            "I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
            "Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt

            1 Reply Last reply
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            • R rnbergren

              so frequently I find myself doing a proof of concept very short code that I am going to flush out later. Sometimes I even flush it. Pun intended. Anyway I frequently use variables like the following. astr - it is A String Temp table #ewww - because the data in the table is stinky at best. and so forth. I always promise myself to clean it up before I actually use it anywhere. Sometimes I even do. Does anyone else do this?

              To err is human to really elephant it up you need a computer

              D Offline
              D Offline
              Daniel Pfeffer
              wrote on last edited by
              #6

              Never. Either write code properly, or don't write it at all.

              Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows. -- 6079 Smith W.

              1 Reply Last reply
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              • R rnbergren

                so frequently I find myself doing a proof of concept very short code that I am going to flush out later. Sometimes I even flush it. Pun intended. Anyway I frequently use variables like the following. astr - it is A String Temp table #ewww - because the data in the table is stinky at best. and so forth. I always promise myself to clean it up before I actually use it anywhere. Sometimes I even do. Does anyone else do this?

                To err is human to really elephant it up you need a computer

                Sander RosselS Offline
                Sander RosselS Offline
                Sander Rossel
                wrote on last edited by
                #7

                "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." - Aristotle So no, I've made doing it "right" a habit and would not even think about naming something "astr" or "ewww" :)

                Best, Sander Azure DevOps Succinctly (free eBook) Azure Serverless Succinctly (free eBook) Migrating Apps to the Cloud with Azure arrgh.js - Bringing LINQ to JavaScript

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                • R rnbergren

                  so frequently I find myself doing a proof of concept very short code that I am going to flush out later. Sometimes I even flush it. Pun intended. Anyway I frequently use variables like the following. astr - it is A String Temp table #ewww - because the data in the table is stinky at best. and so forth. I always promise myself to clean it up before I actually use it anywhere. Sometimes I even do. Does anyone else do this?

                  To err is human to really elephant it up you need a computer

                  C Offline
                  C Offline
                  Chris Maunder
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #8

                  I learned a long time ago that the temp code I'm planning on ditch often becomes the bedrock on which my applications teeter.

                  cheers Chris Maunder

                  1 Reply Last reply
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                  • R rnbergren

                    so frequently I find myself doing a proof of concept very short code that I am going to flush out later. Sometimes I even flush it. Pun intended. Anyway I frequently use variables like the following. astr - it is A String Temp table #ewww - because the data in the table is stinky at best. and so forth. I always promise myself to clean it up before I actually use it anywhere. Sometimes I even do. Does anyone else do this?

                    To err is human to really elephant it up you need a computer

                    K Offline
                    K Offline
                    kmoorevs
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #9

                    rnbergren wrote:

                    Does anyone else do this?

                    I have been known to use slightly 'inappropriate' abbreviations for variable names. By inappropriate, I mean in human terms 'cause the compiler doesn't care. A common abbreviation in my line of business is ASS. It appears frequently in my code, and I've never been asked to change it. :) Another example is when we used crystal reports. The application object was crAp! :laugh: The worst I've done is leave some salty comments for myself as they were well deserved. :laugh: TBH, for utility variables I always use the same ones, usually 2 or 3 letters, kind of a signature I suppose. For others, I've gotten a lot more descriptive over the last decade or so.

                    "Go forth into the source" - Neal Morse "Hope is contagious"

                    1 Reply Last reply
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                    • R rnbergren

                      so frequently I find myself doing a proof of concept very short code that I am going to flush out later. Sometimes I even flush it. Pun intended. Anyway I frequently use variables like the following. astr - it is A String Temp table #ewww - because the data in the table is stinky at best. and so forth. I always promise myself to clean it up before I actually use it anywhere. Sometimes I even do. Does anyone else do this?

                      To err is human to really elephant it up you need a computer

                      J Offline
                      J Offline
                      Jon McKee
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #10

                      If I'm writing "one-off" code I do this sometimes (e.g. a QA answer). Any code I might actually end up using for something I generally don't for three reasons: 1) harder to read for me, 2) you may never get back around to renaming everything, and 3) naming practice. Good naming is a skill just like any other.

                      1 Reply Last reply
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                      • R rnbergren

                        so frequently I find myself doing a proof of concept very short code that I am going to flush out later. Sometimes I even flush it. Pun intended. Anyway I frequently use variables like the following. astr - it is A String Temp table #ewww - because the data in the table is stinky at best. and so forth. I always promise myself to clean it up before I actually use it anywhere. Sometimes I even do. Does anyone else do this?

                        To err is human to really elephant it up you need a computer

                        M Offline
                        M Offline
                        Mycroft Holmes
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #11

                        Never ever do this in what you think is prototype code, it will and should come back and bite you when it goes into production. Doing it right MUST become a habit, an automatic action that you don't even think about it. Name it correctly, format it correctly and use the most efficient and elegant structure you can think of, even in a throw away piece of code you don't ever expect to use.

                        Never underestimate the power of human stupidity - RAH I'm old. I know stuff - JSOP

                        1 Reply Last reply
                        0
                        • R rnbergren

                          so frequently I find myself doing a proof of concept very short code that I am going to flush out later. Sometimes I even flush it. Pun intended. Anyway I frequently use variables like the following. astr - it is A String Temp table #ewww - because the data in the table is stinky at best. and so forth. I always promise myself to clean it up before I actually use it anywhere. Sometimes I even do. Does anyone else do this?

                          To err is human to really elephant it up you need a computer

                          L Offline
                          L Offline
                          Lost User
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #12

                          rnbergren wrote:

                          Anyway I frequently use variables like the following. astr - it is A String

                          Sytems vs. Apps hungarian, and they both wrong in update code; we read Joel[^] and do not use it, since VB6. I will use a descriptive name. "CurrentInput", "DescText". Never will I use a form of hungarian, no matter whether sys or apps. Don't care about company's guideluines either. I write good code, despite guidelines. We use a descriptive name. No need to include type, one can get that by hovering the mouse.

                          rnbergren wrote:

                          Does anyone else do this?

                          I hope not, that's a sign of sickness. --edit I use names; if I don't have a good one in less than a minute, I pick whatever female variable name Google offers. That takes a few minutes more. Mostly going for cat names.

                          Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: "If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.

                          1 Reply Last reply
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                          • R rnbergren

                            so frequently I find myself doing a proof of concept very short code that I am going to flush out later. Sometimes I even flush it. Pun intended. Anyway I frequently use variables like the following. astr - it is A String Temp table #ewww - because the data in the table is stinky at best. and so forth. I always promise myself to clean it up before I actually use it anywhere. Sometimes I even do. Does anyone else do this?

                            To err is human to really elephant it up you need a computer

                            R Offline
                            R Offline
                            Rick York
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #13

                            No, never. I learned log ago that you have to be careful when proving a concept because once you do then you are asked to put in production. You need to have a good reason why it can't be or else it will be. Therefore, always build in a fatal weakness that will require revision before you can deploy it. The problem I often had was they want a quick PoC and even quicker deployment and there is never enough time for a shiny, finished product.

                            "They have a consciousness, they have a life, they have a soul! Damn you! Let the rabbits wear glasses! Save our brothers! Can I get an amen?"

                            1 Reply Last reply
                            0
                            • R rnbergren

                              so frequently I find myself doing a proof of concept very short code that I am going to flush out later. Sometimes I even flush it. Pun intended. Anyway I frequently use variables like the following. astr - it is A String Temp table #ewww - because the data in the table is stinky at best. and so forth. I always promise myself to clean it up before I actually use it anywhere. Sometimes I even do. Does anyone else do this?

                              To err is human to really elephant it up you need a computer

                              L Offline
                              L Offline
                              Lost User
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #14

                              No time to write crap code.

                              It was only in wine that he laid down no limit for himself, but he did not allow himself to be confused by it. ― Confucian Analects: Rules of Confucius about his food

                              1 Reply Last reply
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                              • R rnbergren

                                so frequently I find myself doing a proof of concept very short code that I am going to flush out later. Sometimes I even flush it. Pun intended. Anyway I frequently use variables like the following. astr - it is A String Temp table #ewww - because the data in the table is stinky at best. and so forth. I always promise myself to clean it up before I actually use it anywhere. Sometimes I even do. Does anyone else do this?

                                To err is human to really elephant it up you need a computer

                                G Offline
                                G Offline
                                Gary R Wheeler
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #15

                                I don't crap code, but if I did: Fred, Barney, Wilma, Betty, Pebbles, BamBam, Dino I could go on...

                                Software Zen: delete this;

                                L 1 Reply Last reply
                                0
                                • G Gary R Wheeler

                                  I don't crap code, but if I did: Fred, Barney, Wilma, Betty, Pebbles, BamBam, Dino I could go on...

                                  Software Zen: delete this;

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

                                  VB6?

                                  Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: "If you just follow the bacon Eddy, wherever it leads you, then you won't have to think about politics." -- Some Bell.

                                  1 Reply Last reply
                                  0
                                  • R rnbergren

                                    so frequently I find myself doing a proof of concept very short code that I am going to flush out later. Sometimes I even flush it. Pun intended. Anyway I frequently use variables like the following. astr - it is A String Temp table #ewww - because the data in the table is stinky at best. and so forth. I always promise myself to clean it up before I actually use it anywhere. Sometimes I even do. Does anyone else do this?

                                    To err is human to really elephant it up you need a computer

                                    C Offline
                                    C Offline
                                    CPallini
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #17

                                    Yes, of course. 'foo', 'bar', 'goo' and 'boo' are my favourites. :-D

                                    "In testa che avete, Signor di Ceprano?" -- Rigoletto

                                    1 Reply Last reply
                                    0
                                    • R rnbergren

                                      so frequently I find myself doing a proof of concept very short code that I am going to flush out later. Sometimes I even flush it. Pun intended. Anyway I frequently use variables like the following. astr - it is A String Temp table #ewww - because the data in the table is stinky at best. and so forth. I always promise myself to clean it up before I actually use it anywhere. Sometimes I even do. Does anyone else do this?

                                      To err is human to really elephant it up you need a computer

                                      W Offline
                                      W Offline
                                      Wizard of Sleeves
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #18

                                      It seems like I am the only one, but I am with you on this one... sort of. The only non descriptive variables I use for i, j & k in for loops. This is a throw back to my Fortran programming days. i, j & k were integers, other letters were floats. However. When I say descriptive, I do use names like 'something', 'stuff', 'thisOne', 'thatThing', etc. Sometimes, these do creep into production code, but not in a way that is confusing to the future being that has to deal with my code.

                                      Nothing succeeds like a budgie without teeth.

                                      G 1 Reply Last reply
                                      0
                                      • R rnbergren

                                        so frequently I find myself doing a proof of concept very short code that I am going to flush out later. Sometimes I even flush it. Pun intended. Anyway I frequently use variables like the following. astr - it is A String Temp table #ewww - because the data in the table is stinky at best. and so forth. I always promise myself to clean it up before I actually use it anywhere. Sometimes I even do. Does anyone else do this?

                                        To err is human to really elephant it up you need a computer

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

                                        There is nothing worse, as a support engineer, than working through some code and coming to a line that says something like:

                                        /* Note: Needs to be fixed before general release. */

                                        1 Reply Last reply
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                                        • R rnbergren

                                          so frequently I find myself doing a proof of concept very short code that I am going to flush out later. Sometimes I even flush it. Pun intended. Anyway I frequently use variables like the following. astr - it is A String Temp table #ewww - because the data in the table is stinky at best. and so forth. I always promise myself to clean it up before I actually use it anywhere. Sometimes I even do. Does anyone else do this?

                                          To err is human to really elephant it up you need a computer

                                          M Offline
                                          M Offline
                                          Martin Hart Turner
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #20

                                          Nope, my OCD won’t let me do such things. Quick an dirty code as well as production get the full treatment!

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