[clug] Think Pieces

[jhock at iinet.net.au]

I remember, a very long time ago, I'd write the comments on how the program should work and then fill in the code to do it. 

On 11 July 2021 8:58:49 pm AEST, Paul Wayper via linux <linux at lists.samba.org> wrote:
>On 10/7/21 8:18 pm, jm via linux wrote:
>> On 10/7/21 11:58, jhock--- via linux wrote:
>>> When I studied computing at uni, we would get a pass if the software
>worked and then a credit if the software was optimised, etcetera,
>etcetera. No one seems to do that nowadays. It seems to me that most
>software developers create something, do very little testing and wait
>for users to find the bugs. 
>> That's "agile" for you and MVP (Minimum Viable Product). They seem to
>> forget the viable bit. They seem to be trying to apply it everywhere
>> forgetting to use the appropriate tool/methodology for the job. I was
>> fond at one stage of saying that people are confusing prototype with
>> product.
>>
>> You forgot marks for good comments which seems to gone the way of the
>> dodo. I've started arguments with developers about the importance of
>> commenting your code only to be told it's unnecessary by them.
>
>I love watching those people.  They also seem to wonder who wrote that
>stupid
>thing, and why it's so obviously wrong, so they change it.  Then they
>find out
>that they wrote it, and the reason it's written that way is because of
>some
>obscure bug that they discovered last time and then forgot.  They then
>seem so
>angry at whoever it was that didn't write a comment in the code to
>explain
>their reasoning :-)
>
>I document using the simple rule:
>
>Always write code as if the maintenance programmer who has to look at
>it next
>is a homicidal maniac who knows where you live.
>
>Every time I find myself thinking "yeah, that's a bit hard to
>understand" I
>write a comment.  And often the process of writing the comment also
>helps me
>understand it better.  A few times, writing the comment has made me
>think "but
>maybe there's a better way", which has in turn made the code much
>simpler or
>removed a lot of cruft.
>
>Likewise, I also see the people that don't write comments not writing
>tests,
>because their code obviously works...
>
>Have fun,
>
>Paul