Path: csiph.com!x330-a1.tempe.blueboxinc.net!usenet.pasdenom.info!aioe.org!news.stack.nl!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed6.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!post.news.xs4all.nl!not-for-mail Return-Path: X-Original-To: python-list@python.org Delivered-To: python-list@mail.python.org X-Spam-Status: OK 0.013 X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.97; '*S*': 0.00; 'documenting': 0.07; 'names.': 0.07; 'python': 0.08; '(it': 0.09; 'inclined': 0.09; 'to:name:python-list@python.org': 0.09; 'variables,': 0.09; 'am,': 0.14; 'described': 0.14; 'wrote:': 0.14; 'received:192.168.1.101': 0.16; 'received:mail.comcast.net': 0.16; 'self-': 0.16; 'occurred': 0.19; 'header:In-Reply-To:1': 0.21; 'lines,': 0.23; 'code': 0.24; 'classes': 0.26; "i'm": 0.27; 'relatively': 0.32; 'to:addr:python-list': 0.33; 'list': 0.33; '(for': 0.33; 'rather': 0.34; 'however,': 0.34; 'charset:us-ascii': 0.36; 'instead.': 0.37; 'received:76': 0.38; 'but': 0.38; 'received:192': 0.38; 'comments': 0.39; 'should': 0.39; 'header:Mime-Version:1': 0.39; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.39; 'received:192.168.1': 0.40; 'results': 0.60; 'more': 0.60; 'header:Message-Id:1': 0.62; 'subject': 0.62; 'selected': 0.67; '26,': 0.67; 'subject:The': 0.69; 'low': 0.73; 'full.': 0.84 Subject: The worth of comments References: From: Richard Parker Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Mailer: iPad Mail (8J3) In-Reply-To: Date: Thu, 26 May 2011 11:50:25 -0700 To: "python-list@python.org" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Mime-Version: 1.0 (iPad Mail 8J3) X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.12 Precedence: list List-Id: General discussion list for the Python programming language List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Newsgroups: comp.lang.python Message-ID: Lines: 22 NNTP-Posting-Host: 82.94.164.166 X-Trace: 1306435827 news.xs4all.nl 49181 [::ffff:82.94.164.166]:60593 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: x330-a1.tempe.blueboxinc.net comp.lang.python:6336 On May 26, 2011, at 4:28 AM, python-list-request@python.org wrote: > My experience is that comments in Python are of relatively low=20 > usefulness. (For avoidance of doubt: not *zero* usefulness, merely low.)=20= > I can name variables, functions and classes with sensible, self- > documenting names. Why write: >=20 > x =3D get_results(arg) # x is a list of 1 or more results > [... much later] > for y in x: > # process each result in turn > do_something_with(y) (It occurred to me that I should use a specific subject for this discussion.= ) I'm less inclined to use comments on each line, or selected lines, but rathe= r use block comments instead. They require more thought and time to write; h= owever, the intended functionality of the code that follows can be described= in full.