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Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code?

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On Friday, April 13, 2012 3:32:59 AM UTC+1, Pavel wrote:

<snip>

> [...] there is often under-reported trade-off between the code's 
> flexibility and expandability and its readability.
> 
> To mitigate, try to limit your use of the nastiest for reading 
> large codebases (IMHO) C++ features:
> 
> - do not overload operators or write member operator functions (other 
> than for  well-known *to others* idiomatic use, such as comparators for STL 
> containers or functors for STL algos)

and those following normal mathematical conventions. It seems natural to use operator+ for, say, vector addition

> - do not rely on namespaces to resolve name conflicts; at least not fully; 
> always get part of the namespace name into the class name 

not sure of the reasoning behind this.

> (and maybe  even some  function name).

*really* don't see this!

You'd write
   queue.addToQueue (thingy);
rather than
   queue.add (thingy);

more typing, less clarity!

> - try to avoid function overloading as much as possible

ok. I'm not a heavy user so no argument.

> - do not call your member functions anyhow similar to system function. 

why not! Each class is effectivly a namespace. This is one of the things that makes C++ clearer than C. IMHO.

> That is, 
> avoid names like 'write'; instead be as specific as possible 
> 'writeCrocodileIndexToXyzHeader()' 

no. really, no.
   xyzHeader.write (crocodileIndex);
or
   xyzHeader << crocodileIndex;

short and clear. Where comes this mania for War-and-Peace identifier names?

> [...] but the "line-of-code real estate" is at premium when you start 
> using really useful names so you might want to at least look into using camels).

I don't accept that "long" is synonomous with "meaningful"

> - Do not use utility methods in the namespaces; instead use utility 
> classes with static function (to enforce the qualification of function 
> name with the class name).

you don't like namespaces so you reinvent namespaces

> The above might explain why I often favor C over C++ for bigger projects 
> (despite the C++ supposedly being better for them).

it shows. You seem to be trying to make C++ look like C. I'm not sure why

> The following are not C++-specific
> 
> - use long readable names for variables (other than parameters of short 
> functions with self-explaining names)

up to a point.

> - (I know, this will have lots of enemies) do not over-break your functions onto 
> smaller ones without significant and immediate gain (within reason, of course -- 
> a function longer than a screen may be worth breaking down). It is easier to 
> follow one 50-line function with one-liner "section headers" in comments than 10 
> 5-line functions calling each other

not sure this is always true.

> and intermixed in alphabetical order 

yuk. This is a pain to maintain and not as helpful as some imagine. Your editor does have a search facility? Or are you still using coding pads?

> even if 
> their names as so good that they "do not require comments").

you presumably don't agree this is possible?

<snip>

> - and in general, only add an infrastructure facility if and when it 
> is needed and gives palpable and immediate gain. Do not add code 
> "for future".

YAGNI it's called

> - Do not hesitate to remove "perfectly good" infrastructure code or 
> glue as soon  as it is no longer used (even if you are 100% sure it is 
> not used only temporarily).

sounds like work creation

> To feel better about it, just think how much less you will have to 
> explain to your nasty manager or comment.
> 
> And the following is not even technical at all:
> 
> - Try to gain friends, not enemies, among your co-workers. Explain your 
> ideas. 
> Take other people's ideas (sometimes do it even if you believe their
> ideas have no technical merit) 

sorry I'm too Geek to even *think* this! I'd rather saw my own head off. Friends? Friends!? we're computer programmers we don't have no 
stinking friends!

> to get them involved. And sometimes you will avoid the trap 
> of your own biases against their ideas this way. As soon as they are on "write" 
> rather than "read" side of the fence, you have your allies. Make them invested 
> by letting them have a piece. Never get tired to explain (to me personally, 
> vis-a-vis and e-mails is a much better setting for getting ideas across than the 
> team meetings where a participant's goal is sometimes to look good rather than 
> to build understanding).

90% of meetings are a complete waste of time and 90% of the time spent in the other meetings is also a wasted.

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Methods for understanding complex, real world,  C++ code? mathog <dmathog@gmail.com> - 2012-04-10 08:54 -0700
  Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? "K. Frank" <kfrank29.c@gmail.com> - 2012-04-10 12:55 -0700
    Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? Noah Roberts <roberts.noah@gmail.com> - 2012-04-11 09:23 -0700
      Writing extensions, like VBA "macros", Perl or JavaScript.  @Jeff-Relf.Me - 2012-04-11 11:22 -0700
      Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? Lynn McGuire <lmc@winsim.com> - 2012-04-11 14:35 -0500
      Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2012-04-11 21:53 +0000
        Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? mathog <dmathog@gmail.com> - 2012-04-12 12:01 -0700
      Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? "K. Frank" <kfrank29.c@gmail.com> - 2012-04-11 16:06 -0700
      Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? Christopher Pisz <someone@somewhere.net> - 2012-04-12 11:46 -0500
      Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? Pavel <pauldontspamtolk@removeyourself.dontspam.yahoo> - 2012-04-12 22:32 -0400
        Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? nick_keighley_nospam@hotmail.com - 2012-04-13 02:16 -0700
          Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2012-04-15 10:21 +0000
            Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? Pavel <pauldontspamtolk@removeyourself.dontspam.yahoo> - 2012-04-15 19:33 -0400
              Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? Miles Bader <miles@gnu.org> - 2012-04-16 09:59 +0900
                Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? Pavel <pauldontspamtolk@removeyourself.dontspam.yahoo> - 2012-04-15 21:32 -0400
                Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? Miles Bader <miles@gnu.org> - 2012-04-17 09:32 +0900
                Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2012-04-17 02:06 +0000
                Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? Miles Bader <miles@gnu.org> - 2012-04-17 11:35 +0900
                Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-04-17 16:06 +1200
                Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2012-04-17 15:24 +0000
                Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? Miles Bader <miles@gnu.org> - 2012-04-18 04:50 +0900
                Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2012-04-17 20:18 +0000
                Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? Miles Bader <miles@gnu.org> - 2012-04-18 10:31 +0900
                Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2012-04-18 01:36 +0000
                Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? Miles Bader <miles@gnu.org> - 2012-04-18 11:00 +0900
                Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? Pavel <pauldontspamtolk@removeyourself.dontspam.yahoo> - 2012-04-18 22:09 -0400
                Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? Miles Bader <miles@gnu.org> - 2012-04-19 11:41 +0900
                Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? Pavel <pauldontspamtolk@removeyourself.dontspam.yahoo> - 2012-04-18 23:04 -0400
                Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? Miles Bader <miles@gnu.org> - 2012-04-19 13:33 +0900
                Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-04-19 15:56 +1200
                Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? Pavel <pauldontspamtolk@removeyourself.dontspam.yahoo> - 2012-04-19 22:54 -0400
                Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? Miles Bader <miles@gnu.org> - 2012-04-20 14:31 +0900
              Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? Tobias Müller <troplin@bluewin.ch> - 2012-04-16 06:39 +0000
                Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? Pavel <pauldontspamtolk@removeyourself.dontspam.yahoo> - 2012-04-18 22:25 -0400
                Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2012-04-19 13:58 +0000
                Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? Pavel <pauldontspamtolk@removeyourself.dontspam.yahoo> - 2012-04-19 23:39 -0400
                Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2012-04-22 16:37 +0000
                Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? Dombo <dombo@disposable.invalid> - 2012-04-19 23:20 +0200
                Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? Pavel <pauldontspamtolk@removeyourself.dontspam.yahoo> - 2012-04-19 23:54 -0400
              Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? nick_keighley_nospam@hotmail.com - 2012-04-17 03:50 -0700
                Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2012-04-17 12:01 +0000
  Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world,  C++ code? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2012-04-11 08:04 +1200
  Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world,  C++ code? Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2012-04-10 22:26 +0000
    Rewrite it.  @Jeff-Relf.Me - 2012-04-10 16:31 -0700
      Re: Rewrite it.  nick_keighley_nospam@hotmail.com - 2012-04-11 01:20 -0700
        Re: Rewrite it.  Rui Maciel <rui.maciel@gmail.com> - 2012-04-11 10:06 +0100
          Re: Rewrite it.  nick_keighley_nospam@hotmail.com - 2012-04-11 03:45 -0700
            Building a "house" that you can live in for decades to come.  @Jeff-Relf.Me - 2012-04-11 08:52 -0700
              Re: Building a "house" that you can live in for decades to come.  Miles Bader <miles@gnu.org> - 2012-04-12 13:19 +0900
    Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? "K. Frank" <kfrank29.c@gmail.com> - 2012-04-10 17:37 -0700
      Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? Pavel <pauldontspamtolk@removeyourself.dontspam.yahoo> - 2012-04-12 21:40 -0400
  Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world,  C++ code? michael.boehnisch@gmail.com - 2012-04-10 17:29 -0700
    Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world,  C++ code? Rui Maciel <rui.maciel@gmail.com> - 2012-04-11 10:02 +0100
  Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world,  C++ code? jgk@panix.com (Joe keane) - 2012-04-11 22:36 +0000
    Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? Noah Roberts <roberts.noah@gmail.com> - 2012-04-11 16:05 -0700
      Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world, C++ code? Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2012-04-11 19:37 -0500
  Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world,  C++ code? Pavel <pauldontspamtolk@removeyourself.dontspam.yahoo> - 2012-04-12 21:48 -0400
    Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world,  C++ code? Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2012-04-15 09:56 +0000
      Re: Methods for understanding complex, real world,  C++ code? Pavel <pauldontspamtolk@removeyourself.dontspam.yahoo> - 2012-04-15 19:43 -0400

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