• Re: The end of software secrecy is almost upon

    From Rosario19@3:633/10 to All on Mon Nov 2 10:54:42 2026
    On Tue, 20 Oct 2026 20:20:39 -0000 (UTC), Lawrence D˜Oliveiro wrote:

    On Tue, 20 Oct 2026 15:06:48 -0500, Lynn McGuire wrote:

    The key to writing any software is lots of commenting.

    A key point about comments is they should explain *why* the code is

    the win for comment it is when code explain itself with 0 comment

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.19
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Fred. Zwarts@3:633/10 to All on Mon Nov 2 11:11:40 2026
    Op 02.nov.2026 om 10:54 schreef Rosario19:
    On Tue, 20 Oct 2026 20:20:39 -0000 (UTC), Lawrence D˜Oliveiro wrote:

    On Tue, 20 Oct 2026 15:06:48 -0500, Lynn McGuire wrote:

    The key to writing any software is lots of commenting.

    A key point about comments is they should explain *why* the code is

    the win for comment it is when code explain itself with 0 comment

    Code can only explain what it does, what the algorithm is.
    Code cannot explain why that algorithm was chosen. That is where
    comments are for.


    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.19
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Charlie Gibbs@3:633/10 to All on Mon Nov 2 16:51:46 2026
    On 2026-11-02, Fred. Zwarts <F.Zwarts@HetNet.nl> wrote:

    Op 02.nov.2026 om 10:54 schreef Rosario19:

    On Tue, 20 Oct 2026 20:20:39 -0000 (UTC), Lawrence D˜Oliveiro wrote:

    On Tue, 20 Oct 2026 15:06:48 -0500, Lynn McGuire wrote:

    The key to writing any software is lots of commenting.

    A key point about comments is they should explain *why* the code is

    the win for comment it is when code explain itself with 0 comment

    Code can only explain what it does, what the algorithm is.
    Code cannot explain why that algorithm was chosen. That is where
    comments are for.

    Unfortuately, a lot of people (especially CS weenies) love to
    loudly proclaim, "My code is so readable that no comments are
    necessary!" (Sometimes they apply this argument to their choice
    of programming language as well.) They're usually wrong.

    --
    /~\ Charlie Gibbs | In this world there are
    \ / <cgibbs@kltpzyxm.invalid> | two kinds of people:
    X I'm really at ac.dekanfrus | 1. Those who can extrapolate
    / \ if you read it the right way. | from incomplete data.

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.19
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)
  • From Lawrence D?Oliveiro@3:633/10 to All on Mon Nov 2 20:06:53 2026
    On Mon, 02 Nov 2026 16:51:46 GMT, Charlie Gibbs wrote:

    Unfortuately, a lot of people (especially CS weenies) love to loudly proclaim, "My code is so readable that no comments are necessary!"

    Wasn?t that the argument made by the ?business? users for COBOL? That
    the language was practically English anyway ... ?

    --- PyGate Linux v1.5.19
    * Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)