In SX Microcontrollers, SX/B Compiler and SX-Key Tool, PJMonty wrote:

John,

As a general rule of thumb, "elegant" to me is code that I can easily read and understand years after I have written it without working hard.  Programmers often try to squeeze code into tiny spaces (or make it super fast) without needing to.

While your question sounds like a simple hypothetical exercise, I would like to suggest that unless code [b]needs[/b] space or speed optimization, then don't bother.  If the code works and is easy to read, then you have written excellent code.

BTW, Bean's suggestion is a [b]perfect[/b] example of a coding style that makes the code [i]easier[/i] to comprehend.  His use of the defined constant "CLOSED" means that the code reads even more like English.  Remember, when reading source code, [b]you[/b] become the CPU, since you have to parse the code and "run it in you head" to understand it.  Bean's example is something you could read a hundred years from now and understand easily.  It doesn't get much easier than "IF Switch1 = CLOSED THEN..." for human comprehension.

[list]Thanks,
PeterM[/list]

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