Remember: Always Document Your Code

[mvbighead]

I indent all my code, I *refuse* to review other code that is not indented. Lack of comments is one thing, lack of indenting... NO.

This.

Depending on the language, comments may or may not be necessary. Sometimes, just looking at the code you can see exactly what is going on. But the lack of indentation just makes every look like a great big ball of text.

 

[Jaskalas]

I indent all my code, I *refuse* to review other code that is not indented. Lack of comments is one thing, lack of indenting... NO.

Wouldn't it be possible to run the code through a script / macro / whatever that would auto indent it for you? Assuming it has all its brackets closed.

 

[torpid]

Modern IDEs generally can auto-format your code and put proper indentation. Maybe you should do it just for the peace of mind, Squirrel.

 

[Possessed Freak]

Wouldn't it be possible to run the code through a script / macro / whatever that would auto indent it for you? Assuming it has all its brackets closed.

If I am asked to review code, then I would consider all of it suspect including braces being opened/closed.

Plus depending on the language, there could be multiple lines for a single command which should also be indented to indicate it is the same command. Add in single line if statements, and other oddities, I am NOT writing a script to fix sloppy code that I am reviewing!

 

[Possessed Freak]

Modern IDEs generally can auto-format your code and put proper indentation. Maybe you should do it just for the peace of mind, Squirrel.

Real programers code in VI.

 

[Arcadio]

// Reads file
file.read();

 

[Crusty]

Real programers code in VI.

vi can auto-indent.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Modern IDEs generally can auto-format your code and put proper indentation. Maybe you should do it just for the peace of mind, Squirrel.

Like I said, this is OLD code, I indent now.

 

[Crusty]

Like I said, this is OLD code, I indent now.

What he is saying is that you can open the file in nearly ANY text editor nowadays and have 'one-click' auto-formatting, so you can fix that code really easily.

 

[Red Squirrel]

What he is saying is that you can open the file in nearly ANY text editor nowadays and have 'one-click' auto-formatting, so you can fix that code really easily.

Oh right, yeah, could probably do that. At least make the code more readable then I can fix the rest of the mess. Back when I coded that my mindset was "I'll never go back to this code again". Obviously, this is false when it comes to coding.

 

[ss284]

vi can auto-indent.

eclipse too!

 

[Ns1]

I love this pic and actually passed it around to the devs.

 

[shortylickens]

Bad code

 

[bignateyk]

It's called job security.

No comments, obscure variable names, and no indentation

 

[Red Squirrel]

It's called job security.

No comments, obscure variable names, and no indentation

And run the code through a program that removes all the returns and spaces.

A C++ program can technically be turned into a single line of code and it will still compile. At least I think it can... not sure about the preprocessor though.

That would be funny to do that to a 1mil lines of code app. D:

 

[Train]

very few languages actually need linebreaks.

We run all our production JS and CSS through a compressor. replaces long, descriptive variable names with single letters, strips all whitespace, carriage returns and comments.

Makes the code a lot smaller, saves bandwidth, and has actually been shown to compile faster.

 

[Fritzo]

// sometimes I believe compiler ignores all my comments

 

[rh71]

It's called job security.

No comments, obscure variable names, and no indentation

What would really happen if they needed to let you go and you needed to train someone or you wouldn't get severence? You'd need to take them through your apps and show them this and that. You're not going to be saved because you didn't comment code.

 

[Alienwho]

What would really happen if they needed to let you go and you needed to train someone or you wouldn't get severence? You'd need to take them through your apps and show them this and that. You're not going to be saved because you didn't comment code.

Yeah but if you're not going to be saved then you have no incentive to help this person through the code and train them. You squander their training period and don't teach them anything. Then if the company wants your help you charge astronomical consulting fees to teach the new guy the code.

 

[Ns1]

ah n/m

 

[sao123]

//the following block of code really shouldnt work correctly
//but it does


//dont ever touch it

 

[rh71]

Yeah but if you're not going to be saved then you have no incentive to help this person through the code and train them. You squander their training period and don't teach them anything. Then if the company wants your help you charge astronomical consulting fees to teach the new guy the code.

I thought they could withhold severance if you don't train them properly. At our company I think we are given a couple weeks to a month to do that. They don't just throw you out with security.

 

[quakefiend420]

found the other day in a SQL proc, this particular part selects work orders to do something with

--Arbeit macht frei

 

[quakefiend420]

another good one that I found recently was --John's cool new way to create column headings on the fly, stop reading if you don't want your mind blown

and of course stuff like, --not sure why this works, but it does so oh well

 

[xanis]

very few languages actually need linebreaks.

We run all our production JS and CSS through a compressor. replaces long, descriptive variable names with single letters, strips all whitespace, carriage returns and comments.

Makes the code a lot smaller, saves bandwidth, and has actually been shown to compile faster.

Minification FTW