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Groups > comp.lang.c > #13422

Re: Why don't C comments nest?

From Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com>
Newsgroups comp.lang.c
Subject Re: Why don't C comments nest?
Date 2011-11-16 10:06 +1300
Message-ID <9ig2j0Fi5oU4@mid.individual.net> (permalink)
References (4 earlier) <4EBD936D.7040709@verizon.net> <lnk47672ah.fsf@nuthaus.mib.org> <H_KdnY0vhu-BIV_TnZ2dnUVZ_gmdnZ2d@bestweb.net> <9iftjkFi5oU1@mid.individual.net> <j9ujef$qfi$1@dont-email.me>

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On 11/16/11 09:37 AM, BartC wrote:
> "Ian Collins"<ian-news@hotmail.com>  wrote in message
> news:9iftjkFi5oU1@mid.individual.net...
>> On 11/16/11 08:22 AM, Kenneth Brody wrote:
>
>>> In such cases, I often use:
>>>
>>>        some_function( 10 /* param1 */
>>>                      ,20 /* param2 */
>>> #if 0
>>>                      ,30 /* param3 */
>>> #endif
>>>                     );
>>>
>>> A little awkward, but "less ugly".
>>
>> I still don't understand you anyone would do this.
>>
>> Why not just remove the unused parameter?
>
> Because commenting something out isn't the same as deleting it for good.
>
> Have you never written experimental code?

Often, but it doesn't find its way into production code.

> Besides, as soon as you delete a nondescript piece of code, usually the
> application will suddenly stop working. With the weaker commitment of a
> commenting-out, you can reinstate the code very easily.

Or in my case, the tests will fail and I'll revert the change.

> Or sometimes you want to replace one bit of code by a variation of it, but
> you still need the original code visible to work from. If the new version is
> not quite right, you again need the original to start again. Quite often
> there will be something in a line that is causing a problem, and you
> temporarily comment-out different bits to investigate it.

If this happens during an editing session, use the editor's undo/redo 
facility.

If I want to make a change while keeping the original, I either open the 
parent version in another editor window, or more often, open a visual 
diff which highlights the changes clearly.

> Anyway there are dozens of reasons why people want to have commented-out
> code, I don't think anyone disputes that. (Except perhaps you with your
> super-duper version control systems which can remember and recover any mod
> you ever did; in which case  why should you care what anyone else uses
> comments for?)

Using version control isn't rocket science.  Subversion, git and 
mercurial give you all the tools you need.  They also integrate well 
into the popular open source IDEs.

See my reply to James Kuyper, keeping stale, commented out code around 
is as bad, if not worse, than having out of date design documents.

-- 
Ian Collins

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Thread

Why don't C comments nest? Aron Packer <atp1@rightthing.invalid> - 2011-11-11 19:21 +0000
  Re: Why don't C comments nest? James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-11-11 14:31 -0500
    Re: Why don't C comments nest? Noob <root@127.0.0.1> - 2011-11-17 11:21 +0100
      Re: Why don't C comments nest? Phil Carmody <thefatphil_demunged@yahoo.co.uk> - 2011-11-18 15:55 +0200
  Re: Why don't C comments nest? nroberts <roberts.noah@gmail.com> - 2011-11-11 11:25 -0800
  Re: Why don't C comments nest? Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2011-11-11 20:11 +0000
    Re: Why don't C comments nest? "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-11-11 20:28 +0000
      Re: Why don't C comments nest? Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-11-11 13:16 -0800
        Re: Why don't C comments nest? James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-11-11 16:28 -0500
          Re: Why don't C comments nest? Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-11-11 13:54 -0800
            Re: Why don't C comments nest? Willem <willem@toad.stack.nl> - 2011-11-12 12:07 +0000
              Re: Why don't C comments nest? Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-11-12 13:11 -0800
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Willem <willem@toad.stack.nl> - 2011-11-12 22:29 +0000
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-11-12 16:36 -0800
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Willem <willem@toad.stack.nl> - 2011-11-13 10:30 +0000
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-11-13 06:31 -0500
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Willem <willem@toad.stack.nl> - 2011-11-13 16:57 +0000
            Re: Why don't C comments nest? Stephen Sprunk <stephen@sprunk.org> - 2011-11-12 08:21 -0600
              Re: Why don't C comments nest? Lauri Alanko <la@iki.fi> - 2011-11-12 14:29 +0000
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Acid Washed China Blue Jeans <chine.bleu@yahoo.com> - 2011-11-12 06:57 -0800
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2011-11-12 17:51 +0000
              Re: Why don't C comments nest? Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2011-11-12 09:44 -0500
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Stephen Sprunk <stephen@sprunk.org> - 2011-11-12 16:37 -0600
            Re: Why don't C comments nest? Kenneth Brody <kenbrody@spamcop.net> - 2011-11-15 14:22 -0500
              Re: Why don't C comments nest? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-16 08:41 +1300
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-11-15 14:48 -0500
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-16 09:03 +1300
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-11-15 20:37 +0000
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-16 10:06 +1300
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-11-15 14:31 -0800
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-11-15 22:41 +0000
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2011-11-15 23:06 +0000
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-11-15 23:58 +0000
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2011-11-16 01:58 +0000
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Willem <willem@toad.stack.nl> - 2011-11-15 22:40 +0000
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-16 11:48 +1300
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2011-11-15 23:13 +0000
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Kenneth Brody <kenbrody@spamcop.net> - 2011-11-16 12:57 -0500
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-17 07:42 +1300
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? John Gordon <gordon@panix.com> - 2011-11-16 18:57 +0000
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-17 08:48 +1300
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-11-16 11:50 -0800
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-17 09:00 +1300
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2011-11-16 20:20 +0000
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? blp@cs.stanford.edu (Ben Pfaff) - 2011-11-16 11:57 -0800
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-17 09:47 +1300
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Phil Carmody <thefatphil_demunged@yahoo.co.uk> - 2011-11-18 15:49 +0200
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? James Kuyper <jameskuyper@verizon.net> - 2011-11-18 10:15 -0500
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Phil Carmody <thefatphil_demunged@yahoo.co.uk> - 2011-11-18 17:57 +0200
        Re: Why don't C comments nest? "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-11-11 22:14 +0000
          Re: Why don't C comments nest? blp@cs.stanford.edu (Ben Pfaff) - 2011-11-11 14:35 -0800
            Re: Why don't C comments nest? "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-11-12 00:10 +0000
          Re: Why don't C comments nest? Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-11-11 15:14 -0800
            Re: Why don't C comments nest? "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-11-12 00:37 +0000
          Re: Why don't C comments nest? Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2011-11-11 20:21 -0500
            Re: Why don't C comments nest? "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-11-12 11:10 +0000
              Re: Why don't C comments nest? Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2011-11-12 08:11 -0500
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-11-12 13:57 +0000
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Eric Sosman <esosman@ieee-dot-org.invalid> - 2011-11-12 09:34 -0500
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-11-12 18:17 +0000
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2011-11-12 14:09 -0600
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-11-12 20:49 +0000
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-11-12 13:42 -0800
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-11-12 21:53 +0000
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2011-11-12 21:44 +0000
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-11-12 22:12 +0000
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-13 11:22 +1300
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-11-12 16:32 -0800
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-11-12 13:09 -0800
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-11-12 21:46 +0000
                Re: Why don't C comments nest? Seebs <usenet-nospam@seebs.net> - 2011-11-12 21:40 +0000
      Re: Why don't C comments nest? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-12 11:20 +1300
      Re: Why don't C comments nest? Phil Carmody <thefatphil_demunged@yahoo.co.uk> - 2011-11-12 00:40 +0200
      Re: Why don't C comments nest? Kaz Kylheku <kaz@kylheku.com> - 2011-11-12 04:29 +0000
        Re: Why don't C comments nest? "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-11-12 10:54 +0000
          Re: Why don't C comments nest? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-13 09:11 +1300
            Re: Why don't C comments nest? "BartC" <bc@freeuk.com> - 2011-11-12 20:52 +0000
              Re: Why don't C comments nest? Ian Collins <ian-news@hotmail.com> - 2011-11-13 10:22 +1300
              Re: Why don't C comments nest? Phil Carmody <thefatphil_demunged@yahoo.co.uk> - 2011-11-13 23:55 +0200
        Re: Why don't C comments nest? Acid Washed China Blue Jeans <chine.bleu@yahoo.com> - 2011-11-12 07:02 -0800
          Re: Why don't C comments nest? Keith Thompson <kst-u@mib.org> - 2011-11-12 13:13 -0800
            Re: Why don't C comments nest? Acid Washed China Blue Jeans <chine.bleu@yahoo.com> - 2011-11-12 13:48 -0800
  Re: Why don't C comments nest? Acid Washed China Blue Jeans <chine.bleu@yahoo.com> - 2011-11-11 16:51 -0800
  Re: Why don't C comments nest? Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2011-11-12 22:55 +0000
  Re: Why don't C comments nest? Kenneth Brody <kenbrody@spamcop.net> - 2011-11-15 14:17 -0500

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