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Groups > comp.lang.c > #149903

Re: Coding style for small if statements

From Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk>
Newsgroups comp.lang.c
Subject Re: Coding style for small if statements
Date 2020-02-10 01:25 +0000
Organization A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID <87y2tbjksq.fsf@bsb.me.uk> (permalink)
References (9 earlier) <r1osb3$4a5$1@dont-email.me> <87zhdrlqns.fsf@bsb.me.uk> <intent-20200209165109@ram.dialup.fu-berlin.de> <87lfpblaxo.fsf@bsb.me.uk> <r1q5fo$ql1$1@dont-email.me>

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James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> writes:

> On 2/9/20 4:15 PM, Ben Bacarisse wrote:
>> ram@zedat.fu-berlin.de (Stefan Ram) writes:
>> 
>>> Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> writes:
>>>> I'll just note that I am much less interested in the intent of the
>>>> author than others seem to be. 
>>>
>>>   The reason we ("others") are interested so much in the
>>>   intent of the author is that when proofreading code (also
>>>   known as "reviewing code") we want to /compare/ the intent
>>>   of the author with what he actually wrote in order to find
>>>   semantic errors.
>> 
>> There a problem here to do with the words.  I'm not sure what you mean
>> when you speak of "the intent of the author".  If you mean the fact that
>> the author intended to implement the specification, then of course I
>> care about that.  But that is not manifest in code.  It is manifest in
>> the specification.
>
> The point under discussion was the fact that code itself often contains
> hints (such as indentation levels) that the author's intent differed
> from the way the code was actually written.

Yes, I got that.  That's kind of intent I am usually not interested in.

>>>   We cannot get the intend from code, though.
>>>
>>>   Therefore we are grateful when the author has added unit
>>>   documentation, e.g., a function documentation comment
>>>   preceding the actual function. This documentation should
>>>   give in plain English what the intent of the author is,
>>>   and possibly even his motivation (why does he need such
>>>   a function?). If he also has written tests, the better!
>>>
>>>   Then we can compare his intent with his code.
>> 
>> If I understand you, yes, /that/ meaning of intent I do care about.  But
>> that was not the meaning being discussed, as can be seen from the fact
>> that no code with any overall specification has been presented.
>
> The intent was being inferred (and IMHO, reasonably so) from indications
> in the code.

Yes, I know that making that sort of inference was being suggested.
I've not found it useful.  I can't think what I'd do with that
information.  How does it help to infer (unreliably) that the author
wrote correct code but intended to write incorrect code, or conversely,
that they intended to write incorrect code but happened to get it right?
What matters is what was written.

I agree that the presence of these signs might be a useful warning --
look carefully here because the indentation is all over the place -- but
that's not really inferring anything.

-- 
Ben.

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Thread

Coding style for small if statements Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2020-01-31 23:46 +0300
  Re: Coding style for small if statements Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2020-01-31 23:54 +0300
    Re: Coding style for small if statements Les Cargill <lcargill99@comcast.com> - 2020-01-31 19:13 -0600
    Re: Coding style for small if statements Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2020-02-22 07:52 -0800
  Re: Coding style for small if statements Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@gmail.com> - 2020-02-01 00:06 +0300
    Re: Coding style for small if statements mathog <dmathog@gmail.com> - 2020-02-28 10:20 -0800
  Re: Coding style for small if statements Lew Pitcher <lew.pitcher@digitalfreehold.ca> - 2020-01-31 16:28 -0500
  Re: Coding style for small if statements donalhambra@gmail.com - 2020-02-01 04:55 -0800
    Re: Coding style for small if statements Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2020-02-01 17:16 +0000
      Re: Coding style for small if statements luser droog <luser.droog@gmail.com> - 2020-02-02 11:03 -0800
        Re: Coding style for small if statements Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2020-02-03 02:20 +0000
      Re: Coding style for small if statements Bonita Montero <Bonita.Montero@gmail.com> - 2020-02-03 05:17 +0100
        Re: Coding style for small if statements chad <cdalten@gmail.com> - 2020-02-03 04:07 -0800
          Re: Coding style for small if statements luser droog <luser.droog@gmail.com> - 2020-02-03 12:59 -0800
            Re: Coding style for small if statements chad <cdalten@gmail.com> - 2020-02-03 20:54 -0800
  Re: Coding style for small if statements nobody@example.org (Scott) - 2020-02-01 16:44 +0000
  Re: Coding style for small if statements already5chosen@yahoo.com - 2020-02-02 04:40 -0800
  Re: Coding style for small if statements David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2020-02-02 15:47 +0100
  Re: Coding style for small if statements Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2020-02-03 23:56 +0000
    Re: Coding style for small if statements Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2020-02-16 05:34 -0800
      Re: Coding style for small if statements Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2020-02-16 16:17 +0000
        Re: Coding style for small if statements Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2020-02-22 08:28 -0800
  Re: Coding style for small if statements skybuck2000@hotmail.com - 2020-02-03 21:52 -0800
    Re: Coding style for small if statements skybuck2000@hotmail.com - 2020-02-03 22:07 -0800
      Re: Coding style for small if statements skybuck2000@hotmail.com - 2020-02-03 22:22 -0800
        Re: Coding style for small if statements skybuck2000@hotmail.com - 2020-02-03 22:25 -0800
        Re: Coding style for small if statements Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2020-02-05 02:35 +0000
          Re: Coding style for small if statements James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2020-02-04 20:20 -0800
            Re: Coding style for small if statements James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2020-02-05 01:04 -0500
            Re: Coding style for small if statements James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2020-02-05 01:05 -0500
  Re: Coding style for small if statements John Bode <jfbode1029@gmail.com> - 2020-02-05 12:50 -0800
    Re: Coding style for small if statements Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2020-02-05 23:36 +0000
      Re: Coding style for small if statements John Bode <jfbode1029@gmail.com> - 2020-02-06 15:01 -0800
        Re: Coding style for small if statements Keith Thompson <Keith.S.Thompson+u@gmail.com> - 2020-02-06 15:43 -0800
          Re: Coding style for small if statements David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2020-02-07 11:02 +0100
            Re: Coding style for small if statements scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2020-02-07 15:24 +0000
              Re: Coding style for small if statements Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2020-02-07 23:03 +0000
                Re: Coding style for small if statements scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2020-02-07 23:59 +0000
                Re: Coding style for small if statements Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2020-02-08 00:16 +0000
                Re: Coding style for small if statements scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2020-02-08 02:26 +0000
          Re: Coding style for small if statements Les Cargill <lcargill99@comcast.com> - 2020-02-08 17:07 -0600
            Re: Coding style for small if statements Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2020-02-08 23:17 +0000
              Re: Coding style for small if statements Les Cargill <lcargill99@comcast.com> - 2020-02-08 18:32 -0600
                Re: Coding style for small if statements Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2020-02-09 09:32 -0800
            Re: Coding style for small if statements Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2020-02-16 07:10 -0800
        Re: Coding style for small if statements Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2020-02-07 01:26 +0000
          Re: Coding style for small if statements David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2020-02-07 11:30 +0100
            Re: Coding style for small if statements chad <cdalten@gmail.com> - 2020-02-07 05:36 -0800
            Re: Coding style for small if statements Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2020-02-07 23:36 +0000
              Re: Coding style for small if statements David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2020-02-08 17:20 +0100
                Re: Coding style for small if statements Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2020-02-09 02:07 +0000
                Re: Coding style for small if statements David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2020-02-09 13:01 +0100
                Re: Coding style for small if statements Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2020-02-09 13:26 +0000
                Re: Coding style for small if statements Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2020-02-09 15:53 +0000
                Re: Coding style for small if statements David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2020-02-09 17:03 +0100
                Re: Coding style for small if statements Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2020-02-09 15:35 +0000
                Re: Coding style for small if statements Manfred <noname@add.invalid> - 2020-02-09 18:07 +0100
                Re: Coding style for small if statements Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2020-02-09 21:17 +0000
                Pre- and post- conditions (was Re: Coding style for small if statements) Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2020-02-11 07:19 +0000
                Re: Pre- and post- conditions (was Re: Coding style for small if statements) Öö Tiib <ootiib@hot.ee> - 2020-02-10 23:40 -0800
                Re: Pre- and post- conditions (was Re: Coding style for small if statements) Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2020-02-12 12:24 +0000
                Re: Pre- and post- conditions (was Re: Coding style for small if statements) Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2020-02-11 11:30 +0000
                Re: Pre- and post- conditions (was Re: Coding style for small if statements) Joe Pfeiffer <pfeiffer@cs.nmsu.edu> - 2020-02-11 09:41 -0700
                Re: Pre- and post- conditions (was Re: Coding style for small if statements) James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2020-02-12 08:12 -0500
                Re: Pre- and post- conditions (was Re: Coding style for small if statements) Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2020-02-14 21:18 +0000
                Re: Pre- and post- conditions (was Re: Coding style for small if statements) Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2020-02-22 00:01 -0800
                Re: Pre- and post- conditions (was Re: Coding style for small if statements) James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2020-02-22 05:22 -0800
                Re: Pre- and post- conditions (was Re: Coding style for small if statements) Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2020-04-02 07:57 -0700
                Re: Pre- and post- conditions (was Re: Coding style for small if statements) James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2020-04-02 08:28 -0700
                Re: Pre- and post- conditions (was Re: Coding style for small if statements) jadill33@gmail.com - 2020-02-12 07:56 -0800
                Re: Pre- and post- conditions (was Re: Coding style for small if statements) chad <cdalten@gmail.com> - 2020-02-12 08:57 -0800
                Re: Pre- and post- conditions (was Re: Coding style for small if statements) Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2020-02-14 21:31 +0000
                Re: Pre- and post- conditions (was Re: Coding style for small if statements) jadill33@gmail.com - 2020-02-14 14:10 -0800
                Re: Pre- and post- conditions (was Re: Coding style for small if statements) Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2020-02-15 03:06 +0000
                Re: Coding style for small if statements David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2020-02-09 19:45 +0100
                Re: Coding style for small if statements Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2020-02-09 21:50 +0000
                Re: Coding style for small if statements Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2020-02-09 22:51 +0000
                Re: Coding style for small if statements Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2020-02-10 01:39 +0000
                Re: Coding style for small if statements David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2020-02-10 09:55 +0100
                Re: Coding style for small if statements Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2020-02-10 11:07 +0000
                Re: Coding style for small if statements David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2020-02-10 12:48 +0100
                Re: Coding style for small if statements Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2020-02-10 13:13 +0000
                Re: Coding style for small if statements David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2020-02-10 15:15 +0100
                Re: Coding style for small if statements Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2020-02-10 15:46 +0000
                Re: Coding style for small if statements James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2020-02-09 18:18 -0800
                Re: Coding style for small if statements David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2020-02-10 09:12 +0100
                Re: Coding style for small if statements Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2020-02-10 14:51 +0000
                Re: Coding style for small if statements Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2020-02-10 16:19 +0000
                Re: Coding style for small if statements Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2020-02-09 21:00 +0000
                Re: Coding style for small if statements Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2020-02-09 21:29 +0000
                Re: Coding style for small if statements luser droog <luser.droog@gmail.com> - 2020-02-09 17:14 -0800
                Re: Coding style for small if statements Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2020-02-09 21:15 +0000
                Re: Coding style for small if statements James Kuyper <jameskuyper@alumni.caltech.edu> - 2020-02-09 18:43 -0500
                Re: Coding style for small if statements Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2020-02-10 01:25 +0000
                Re: Coding style for small if statements Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2020-02-22 01:19 -0800
    Re: Coding style for small if statements Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2020-02-16 05:43 -0800
      Re: Coding style for small if statements Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2020-02-16 14:01 +0000
        Re: Coding style for small if statements Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2020-02-22 08:34 -0800
  Re: Coding style for small if statements Guillaume <message@bottle.org> - 2020-02-07 15:25 +0100
    Re: Coding style for small if statements Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2020-02-07 07:22 -0800
      Re: Coding style for small if statements Anton Shepelev <anton.txt@g{oogle}mail.com> - 2020-02-14 15:21 +0300
        Re: Coding style for small if statements Bart <bc@freeuk.com> - 2020-02-14 13:35 +0000
        Re: Coding style for small if statements Guillaume <message@bottle.org> - 2020-02-14 14:43 +0100
          Re: Coding style for small if statements David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2020-02-15 12:08 +0100
          Re: Coding style for small if statements Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2020-02-20 10:10 -0800
            Re: Coding style for small if statements David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2020-02-20 19:58 +0100
      Re: Coding style for small if statements Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2020-02-16 05:55 -0800
    Re: Coding style for small if statements scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2020-02-07 15:26 +0000
      Re: Coding style for small if statements luser droog <luser.droog@gmail.com> - 2020-02-07 17:47 -0800
        Re: Coding style for small if statements jadill33@gmail.com - 2020-02-10 07:09 -0800
      Re: Coding style for small if statements Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2020-02-16 06:30 -0800
        Re: Coding style for small if statements David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2020-02-16 16:14 +0100
          Re: Coding style for small if statements Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2020-02-16 16:40 +0000
            Re: Coding style for small if statements David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2020-02-16 17:48 +0100
            Re: Coding style for small if statements Robert Wessel <robertwessel2@yahoo.com> - 2020-02-16 17:14 -0600
            Re: Coding style for small if statements Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2020-03-30 00:27 -0700
        Re: Coding style for small if statements Ike Naar <ike@sdf.lonestar.org> - 2020-02-16 18:39 +0000
          Re: Coding style for small if statements Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2020-02-16 20:37 +0000
            Re: Coding style for small if statements David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2020-02-17 09:09 +0100
              Re: Coding style for small if statements Öö Tiib <ootiib@hot.ee> - 2020-02-17 05:32 -0800
              Re: Coding style for small if statements scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal) - 2020-02-17 18:07 +0000
              Re: Coding style for small if statements Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2020-02-17 23:48 +0000
              Re: Coding style for small if statements Richard Damon <Richard@Damon-Family.org> - 2020-02-17 20:40 -0500
          Re: Coding style for small if statements Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2020-02-23 10:14 -0800
            Re: Coding style for small if statements Ike Naar <ike@iceland.freeshell.org> - 2020-02-23 20:16 +0000
              Re: Coding style for small if statements Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2020-03-29 18:56 -0700
                Re: Coding style for small if statements Ike Naar <ike@sdf.lonestar.org> - 2020-03-30 06:07 +0000
                Re: Coding style for small if statements Jorgen Grahn <grahn+nntp@snipabacken.se> - 2020-03-30 06:45 +0000
                Re: Coding style for small if statements David Brown <david.brown@hesbynett.no> - 2020-03-30 10:50 +0200
                Re: Coding style for small if statements gazelle@shell.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack) - 2020-03-30 13:04 +0000
                Re: Coding style for small if statements Malcolm McLean <malcolm.arthur.mclean@gmail.com> - 2020-03-30 06:17 -0700
                Re: Coding style for small if statements Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2020-04-04 14:09 -0700
    Re: Coding style for small if statements Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2020-02-18 02:09 -0800
  Re: Coding style for small if statements Jens Stuckelberger <Jens_Stuckelberger@nowhere.net> - 2020-02-10 01:47 +0000
  Re: Coding style for small if statements Bonita Montero <Bonita.Montero@gmail.com> - 2020-02-12 17:54 +0100
  Re: Coding style for small if statements Tim Rentsch <tr.17687@z991.linuxsc.com> - 2020-02-20 07:18 -0800
  Re: Coding style for small if statements fir <profesor.fir@gmail.com> - 2020-02-29 03:30 -0800

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