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Are comments read-only?

Last post 07-08-2008 8:53 AM by KenW. 12 replies.
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  • 07-03-2008 6:05 PM

    Are comments read-only?

    Found today after looking at a script for the first time:

    # PROCESS_MODE must be CRL
    export PROCESS_MODE=DRT
    

    Are comments read-only or something? I assume a developer modified the value from CRL to DRT at some point in the past, but why didn't they update or remove the comment?

    Fixing bugs in a VB program is like playing whack-a-mole.
  • 07-03-2008 6:08 PM In reply to

    Re: Are comments read-only?

    Pretty common, I've seen comments that refer to code that, according to our SVN repo, was removed ages ago. Bad comments are usually worse then no comments at all because they are misleading, and people have a tendency to think they're missing something if the documentation and the code don't appear to jive instantly. 

    TDWTF Forum Moderator
  • 07-03-2008 7:03 PM In reply to

    Re: Are comments read-only?

    Michael Casadevall:

    Bad comments are usually worse then no comments at all...

     

    Maybe if you're a bad programmer and don't know what the hell you're doing!

  • 07-03-2008 7:12 PM In reply to

    Re: Are comments read-only?

    TheDude:

    Michael Casadevall:

    Bad comments are usually worse then no comments at all...

     

    Maybe if you're a bad programmer and don't know what the hell you're doing!

    Haha!  Funny, The Dude!  Now just remind me what CRL and DRT represent.  Make sure the door doesn't hit you on the ass when you leave.

    What if the hokey cokey really IS what it's all about?
  • 07-03-2008 10:23 PM In reply to

    Re: Are comments read-only?

    TheDude:

    Michael Casadevall:

    Bad comments are usually worse then no comments at all...

     

    Maybe if you're a bad programmer and don't know what the hell you're doing!

     

     

    So you'd perfer downright wrong and misleading information compared to no information (aside frm the source code itself?) 

    TDWTF Forum Moderator
  • 07-04-2008 1:24 AM In reply to

    Re: Are comments read-only?

    Bah, who needs comments anyway?

    The code is the documentation! 

  • 07-04-2008 1:36 AM In reply to

    Re: Are comments read-only?

    Michael Casadevall:

    TheDude:

    Michael Casadevall:

    Bad comments are usually worse then no comments at all...

     

    Maybe if you're a bad programmer and don't know what the hell you're doing!

     

     

    So you'd perfer downright wrong and misleading information compared to no information (aside frm the source code itself?) 

     

    I'd say the OP's original comment would be pretty useful in assessing the cause of a bug....

  • 07-04-2008 6:54 AM In reply to

    • Kefer
    • Not Ranked
    • Joined on 07-03-2005
    • Posts 41

    Re: Are comments read-only?

    Sorry, offtopic: No, it's just another troll. Reminds me an awful lot of that other troll "Dude" that was active a few weeks ago (and probably banned).

  • 07-04-2008 8:08 AM In reply to

    • ammoQ
    • Top 10 Contributor
    • Joined on 04-13-2005
    • Vienna.Austria.Europe.Earth
    • Posts 3,332

    Re: Are comments read-only?

    Kefer:

    Sorry, offtopic: No, it's just another troll. Reminds me an awful lot of that other troll "Dude" that was active a few weeks ago (and probably banned).

     

    FTFY

    beanbag girl 4ever
  • 07-04-2008 9:56 AM In reply to

    • Bombe
    • Not Ranked
    • Joined on 12-14-2007
    • Hamburg, Germany
    • Posts 12

    Re: Are comments read-only?

    mxsscott:

    # PROCESS_MODE must be CRL
    export PROCESS_MODE=DRT

    Are comments read-only or something?

     

     Without knowing any context I’d rather assume that this comment is write-only.

  • 07-04-2008 3:01 PM In reply to

    • TheRider
    • Top 150 Contributor
    • Joined on 03-01-2005
    • Zurich, Switzerland
    • Posts 195

    Re: Are comments read-only?

    ActionMan:

    Bah, who needs comments anyway?

    The code is the documentation! 

    I tend to say that, too. But not because nobody might need comments, but rather because very often, comments are out-of-date almost as soon as you finish typing -- and, worst of all, are very rarely revisited and corrected (well, the compiler doesn't care about misleading comments, right?)

    I particularly hate comments that are automatically generated by some IDE such as

    // Method Xyz:insert witty description of the purpose of this method here

    because these comments tend to NEVER be replaced with witty descriptions of the purpose of said method...

    "correcting wrongs on the internet is like subtracting 1 from infinity"
  • 07-07-2008 5:55 PM In reply to

    Re: Are comments read-only?

    TheRider:

    ActionMan:

    Bah, who needs comments anyway?

    The code is the documentation! 

    I tend to say that, too. But not because nobody might need comments, but rather because very often, comments are out-of-date almost as soon as you finish typing -- and, worst of all, are very rarely revisited and corrected (well, the compiler doesn't care about misleading comments, right?)

    I particularly hate comments that are automatically generated by some IDE such as

    // Method Xyz:insert witty description of the purpose of this method here

    because these comments tend to NEVER be replaced with witty descriptions of the purpose of said method...

     

    No matter what you all say, I stand by my original comment.  If you don't have the skills to figure out the logic involved, maybe you should go back to school and pay attention next time you take a CIS 101 class. 

  • 07-08-2008 8:53 AM In reply to

    • KenW
    • Top 50 Contributor
    • Joined on 07-19-2005
    • Posts 422

    Re: Are comments read-only?

    TheDude:
    No matter what you all say, I stand by my original comment.  If you don't have the skills to figure out the logic involved, maybe you should go back to school and pay attention next time you take a CIS 101 class. 
     

    Still nothing but a moronic troll, I see. Maybe this incarnation of "Dude" will get banned soon too.

    I really don't know why idiots like you who obviously know nothing about programming even bother to come here. Maybe you're hoping you can get some skills by just pretending? It won't work. You don't have the brains for it.

    Give up and go on back to whatever you did before you learned about this site and started trolling here. 

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