Discussion Post
Code comments are a way to annotate computer code with helpful information aimed at future developers. Not all experts agree on how it should be used, or indeed if it should be used at all. Some employers require its use, but others are less enthusiastic, and some actively discourage it.
For this discussion, consider these ideas as well as your own reading and experiences. Then address one of the following questions in your post:
• "Don't change this line; it hurts!" Is this a useful code comment? Why or why not?
• If you worked with other software developers, would you appreciate comments in their code? How do you think they would benefit from comments in your code?
• If you managed a team of software developers, would you require them to use code comments? If so, to what degree would you have rules and procedures to follow, if any?
• In The Elements of Programming Style, a well-known computing study from the late 1970s, Kernighan and Plauger advocated a number of guidelines, called "lessons", which they felt should guide software development, such as "Write clearly -- don't be too clever", and "Avoid too many temporary variables". One lesson was "Don't document bad code -- rewrite it". Consider the meaning of this lesson in the context of code commenting. What does it mean to you?
• In recent years documentation generators have come along that can search for code comments, add them to an index, and annotate them with additional tips and cross-referencing. How might such a system be helpful or a hindrance?
The response must include a reference list. Using one-inch margins, double-space, Times New Roman 12 pnt font and APA style of writing and citations.