Comments on: Comments aren’t always evil http://www.kerrybuckley.org/2009/08/14/comments-arent-always-evil/ What's the simplest thing that could possibly go wrong? Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:30:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: FND http://www.kerrybuckley.org/2009/08/14/comments-arent-always-evil/comment-page-1/#comment-35631 FND Wed, 19 Aug 2009 12:26:14 +0000 http://www.kerrybuckley.org/?p=330#comment-35631 Thanks Kerry. I actually agree with that description. So I guess it's just the "comments are evil" rallying cry being a bit <em>too</em> misleading... Thanks Kerry.
I actually agree with that description. So I guess it’s just the “comments are evil” rallying cry being a bit too misleading…

]]> By: Darren http://www.kerrybuckley.org/2009/08/14/comments-arent-always-evil/comment-page-1/#comment-35584 Darren Sun, 16 Aug 2009 16:17:25 +0000 http://www.kerrybuckley.org/?p=330#comment-35584 You could use a method whose name explains what the line of code does but it would probably be reflexively inlined by someone who sees it later anyway. You could use a method whose name explains what the line of code does but it would probably be reflexively inlined by someone who sees it later anyway.

]]> By: Kerry http://www.kerrybuckley.org/2009/08/14/comments-arent-always-evil/comment-page-1/#comment-35571 Kerry Sat, 15 Aug 2009 20:52:15 +0000 http://www.kerrybuckley.org/?p=330#comment-35571 Obviously 'evil' is, as ever, an exaggeration, but comments should be a last resort. Much better to make the intention clear by, for example, extracting a local variable or provate method and giving it a meaningful name. Obviously there are some cases where comments are useful, but I like to only put them in when I can't think of a way of clarifying things in the code itself. The insidious thing about unnecessary comments is that they tend to go out-of-date. People change the code, but leave the comments, so they end up describing behaviour that's no longer there, or they get separated from the code they were supposed to describe. Obviously ‘evil’ is, as ever, an exaggeration, but comments should be a last resort. Much better to make the intention clear by, for example, extracting a local variable or provate method and giving it a meaningful name. Obviously there are some cases where comments are useful, but I like to only put them in when I can’t think of a way of clarifying things in the code itself.

The insidious thing about unnecessary comments is that they tend to go out-of-date. People change the code, but leave the comments, so they end up describing behaviour that’s no longer there, or they get separated from the code they were supposed to describe.

]]> By: FND http://www.kerrybuckley.org/2009/08/14/comments-arent-always-evil/comment-page-1/#comment-35570 FND Sat, 15 Aug 2009 20:27:16 +0000 http://www.kerrybuckley.org/?p=330#comment-35570 So shortly after posting about the evilness of code comments, comments on your blog stop working? Interesting... Anyway, why are comments evil? (Your link leads to a 1 hr podcast... ) Sure, they can be overused - but they can also be very useful and important. Even Python code (*bait*) isn't always obvious enough to not require explanatory comments. As a general rule of thumb, I think the code explains the *what* while comments explain the *why*. I'd rather have too much commenting than too little. So shortly after posting about the evilness of code comments, comments on your blog stop working? Interesting…

Anyway, why are comments evil?
(Your link leads to a 1 hr podcast… )

Sure, they can be overused – but they can also be very useful and important.

Even Python code (*bait*) isn’t always obvious enough to not require explanatory comments.

As a general rule of thumb, I think the code explains the *what* while comments explain the *why*.

I’d rather have too much commenting than too little.

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