Posted on 07/02/2014 9:19:35 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
/johnny
Fix code later???
We had a guy write up a bunch of code, then did global variable name changes from meaningful to meaningless, just to hide his work.
Code seemed to work OK, but no one could check or maintain. His idea of job security, I guess.
True to his nature, he finally got in a fight with the division head, cops were called and was sent home to sit by the phone for further assignment.
And he had to scrounge up a new job pretty soon.
COBOL is self-documenting.
So, the code had to all be done over?
We had to insert a couple of lines of code something like —
x=y
y=x
With a comment
C Do not remove or change these lines.
This was necessary to cure a compiler problem. Sometimes, the compiler, when it grabbed a section of code, would get an error. This changed the section of code’s boundary.
My favorite computer quote:
“Problems that go away by themselves come back by themselves.”
11. Hindi
Ya mean like this?
// Increment variable i by one
i++;
(*snort*)
I actually saw that when I was reviewing someone’s code.
I speak Incan and Mayan. I'm a shoo in!
Where do I sign up?
-PJ
Backing up e-mails.
Back in the day as a programmer, I ran into a weird compiler error. Had it narrowed down to a few lines of code, so I added a print line to show me the value of a variable. Compile worked, and the code ran just fine. Commented out the line, the the code ran just fine. Removed the comment, and the code stopped working.
Had to leave the comment in the code for the program to work.
With many of the modern languages, much of the code can self-document. My rule of thumb is that if the code cannot explain itself, I am probably doing it wrong.
If it was hard to write, it SHOULD be hard to read!
Shortly after I typed it.
COBOL can be easy to read. It depends on who wrote it. :)
I once worked for a real estate appraisal firm.
On the appraisal forms, which are, in effect, legally binding documents, there are many small spaces provided for comments to questions/measurements, etc.
One dimwit I worked with provided a comment on whether tile was plain or inlaid.
He chose to comment, “get laid”.
The boss was not amused, and he was summarily fired (and rightly so!).
As the boss so often reminded us, “every appraisal is a potential lawsuit”.
I assume he (the fired appraiser) got the religion a little too late for his own good.
CA....
I've seen that comment in production code. Usually doesn't bode well.
When the comments in the code make less sense than the code it may indicate the code was fixed by someone who left the original comments untouched.
comments are fine until the code and the comments diverge, which they always will...
comments are fine until the code and the comments diverge, which they always will...
LOL! I worked with an engineer once that said C was self documenting.
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