With comments like this, no wonder commenting gets a bad reputation

[PIEBALDconsult]

// Whereas we wish for this application to interact with a database // and whereas such interaction will require a connection to the server and instance of said database // and whereas a connection of this type relies on many fluctuating unknowns within the server and network infrastructure // and further, given the business-critical nature of this application and its associated interaction with the database // it has therefore been determined that checking whether or not such a connection can be successfully negotiated as early as possible // in the event that such a connection cannot be negotiated, then remediatory actions may be activated in a more timely manner than otherwise feasible checkConnection();

[Sander Rossel]

Found stuff like that too.

' Save the customer.
SaveCustomer()

Even worse:

' Save the customer.
SaveProduct()

The code was copy/pasted and then changed, but of course the comments were overlooked. But that's not all:

' A helper variable
Dim helper As String
helper = "Something"
' Lots of code here...
If someCondition Then
MessageBox.Show(helper)
End If

Yes, in that last part the 'helper variable' is actually a constant string that may or may not be used further in the function... Good thing it was commented :doh: And you wonder why VB has a bad name? This has nothing to do with VB, but with coders that can't code...

It's an OO world.

public class SanderRossel : Lazy<Person>
{
public void DoWork()
{
throw new NotSupportedException();
}
}

[Sander Rossel]

I've seen something like that, except the writer of the comment started about memory and how it works internally... Except the comment clearly showed the writer had no clue what actually happened :laugh: Can't remember where I've seen it or what the comment said though :doh:

It's an OO world.

public class SanderRossel : Lazy<Person>
{
public void DoWork()
{
throw new NotSupportedException();
}
}

[PIEBALDconsult]

Sander Rossel wrote:

coders that can't code...

I disagree... the whole purpose of code is to not be readable. :-D

[Lost User]

Most comments (or error messages) are written by the same master of the obvious.

The language is JavaScript. that of Mordor, which I will not utter here
I hold an A-7 computer expert classification, Commodore. I'm well acquainted with Dr. Daystrom's theories and discoveries. The basic design of all our ship's computers are JavaScript.

[Joe Woodbury]

My favorite was akin to this: // Actually means hasn't been modified except in the function in file xxx.c bool isModified = false; The comment was actually accurate and isModified really did switch meaning multiple times throughout the code.

[thrakazog]

I prefer the obvious to comments that are lies. Given time and a few updates, most of them head that way. //NEVER DO X. Code evolves to do X when the following condition are true.... Comment never updated.

Play my game Gravity: Android[^], Windows Phone 7[^]

[jeron1]

Amen brother! I recently had the extreme headache pleasure of looking at assembler code that had commenting issues. Nothing like taking a 5 minute task and making it a half day project. :mad:

"the debugger doesn't tell me anything because this code compiles just fine" - random QA comment "Facebook is where you tell lies to your friends. Twitter is where you tell the truth to strangers." - chriselst

[Rage]

This code was sponsored by the Ministry of Obvious and Redundancy and Redundancy.

~RaGE();

I think words like 'destiny' are a way of trying to find order where none exists. - Christian Graus Entropy isn't what it used to.

[B Clay Shannon]

I've changed the name of the method from checkConnection() to openConnectionIfPossibleAndNecessary() because that is what it really does (checks for not null not already open, and then provisionally (no pun intended) creates a new connection).

[Roger Wright]

Maybe, but I'll bet if you looked closely at the implementation code, it might draw a check box onscreen next to the word 'Connection" and place a checkmark into it. Encapsulation can do that! ;P

Will Rogers never met me.

[Mark_Wallace]

The thing is: If you use something like JavaDoc or DoxyGen, comments like that can actually be useful.

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