You describe what is refered to as programming in the small.
In the small, "who cares" is OK.  You are they only one
messing with it.

When you get to bigger things with multiple programmers
and lots of modules (as I am doing with a 17C756 and,
now, 87% of the program memory used) it makes a BIG
difference!  Coding style, comments, indenting have
saved our butts lotsa times now.  Our design docs
have allowed us to make changes we never thought
we could.  Uncommented code is like a run on sentance;
who knows what it really means?

Been doing embedded work since the 8080 and such practices
have saved me many many times.  If the code works, then
great.  If it is broken or you have to modify it in
a few months, good luck without good comments.  I hate
to have to refigger out what I did.  It is a waste
of time not to (meaningufully) comment.

Flame off,
Walt...


-----Original Message-----
From: Mike M [mailto:elektrikman@DYNAMITEMAIL.COM]
Sent: Thursday, November 18, 1999 1:56 PM
To: PICLIST@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
Subject: Re: [OT] Re: How to write bad code - was Re: C vs. ASM


I dont understand the big deal that people have with comments and blank
lines??? who cares really. if u have to turn in your program to someone
yes it would be nice if u made it look neat and indent and comment lines
etc.  if your coding for yourself and no ones ever gonna see it anyway
who cares.  If your coding and someone wants help and u send them a
sample of your code so they get the idea and there are no comments in
there...its their problem.  Lets face it comments and "prettyness" are
unnecissary, they are not included in the final package they are mearly
a convience when re-reading some of your old stuff so you or those u
work with know whats going on quickly and easily.

MikE
PS.. I never comment, because if anyone gets my code...i hope they do
get confused : )  j/k hehe



On Fri, 19 Nov 1999 08:12:48 +1100 "Paul B. Webster VK2BZC"
<paulb@MIDCOAST.COM.AU> wrote:
>Richard Martin wrote:
>
>> A very bright programer once worked for me who felt that
>> "unnecessary <newlines> (CR/LF) and spaces got in the way (in 'C')"
>
>  I gather you are referring to the habit of putting multiple
>expressions per line.
>
>  What does make code *very* unreadable however is the practice of
>double-spacing.  A single blank line between functional blocks doesn't
>hurt (In assembler, a blank line after a "GOTO" or "BRA", except in PIC
>code where GOTOs follow skips of course in which case indentation is
>elegant), but gobs of whitespace ("adipose tissue"!) really make it
>difficult, if only because you are less likely to fit essentially
>connected sections of code on the one page/ screen.
>--
>  Cheers,
>        Paul B.
>

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