Path: csiph.com!v102.xanadu-bbs.net!xanadu-bbs.net!nntp.club.cc.cmu.edu!micro-heart-of-gold.mit.edu!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!panix!not-for-mail From: Grant Edwards Newsgroups: comp.lang.python Subject: Re: Most gratuitous comments Date: Fri, 21 Nov 2014 17:04:24 +0000 (UTC) Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and UNIX, NYC Lines: 29 Message-ID: References: <546d7505$0$12899$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> <25fa214f-2060-46a8-bebf-d191d69e9a9c@googlegroups.com> <546e7644$0$13014$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> <6ab51e97-19c5-4008-a755-c55eb71469ba@googlegroups.com> <87fvdd6o5c.fsf@elektro.pacujo.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: 67-130-15-94.dia.static.qwest.net X-Trace: reader1.panix.com 1416589464 6504 67.130.15.94 (21 Nov 2014 17:04:24 GMT) X-Complaints-To: abuse@panix.com NNTP-Posting-Date: Fri, 21 Nov 2014 17:04:24 +0000 (UTC) User-Agent: slrn/1.0.1 (Linux) Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:81228 On 2014-11-21, Marko Rauhamaa wrote: > sohcahtoa82@gmail.com: > >> My point was that I was making fun of CS professors that demand a >> comment on every line of code, regardless of how clear the line of >> code is. > > Unfortunately, a lot of software houses do a similar thing. Not quite > every line, but stuff like: > > def write_line_to_file(file, line): > """Write a line to a file. > > file is the file to add a line to > line is the line to add to the file""" > ... And then they run the whole steaming pile through doxygen to generate several shelf-feet of utterly useless "documentation" to which than can proudly point the next time the ISO-900 inspectors come around. A few years later, the previously correct-but-pointless comments and wheelbarrows full of paper are now incorrect, and instead of providing zero value they provide _negative_ value. -- Grant Edwards grant.b.edwards Yow! ... I'm IMAGINING a at sensuous GIRAFFE, CAVORTING gmail.com in the BACK ROOM of a KOSHER DELI --