Re: Discovery

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Hey!
(late as usual)
Nobody commented on this ?
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Paul Kerslake=20
  To: EUPHORIA at LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU=20
  Sent: Thursday, August 31, 2000 1:35 PM
  Subject: Discovery


  I'vve learnt a few things over the time that I've been programming. =
Most of you may already know these things but for those who don't:

  1. Organize your programs, I've had countless mess-ups due to a sloppy =
layout.

  2. Use the Clone option, Sometimes I find it best to try out something =
small and then put in my main program.=20

  3. Make CLEAR variable names, they don't necessarily have to be long; =
they just have to make sense:

  Lets say you had this:

  sequence f1,f2       --Lets say these are for a "Fighter" attacking.

  f1=3Dread_bitmap("fswing1.BMP")
  f2=3Dread_bitmap("fswing2.BMP")

  But it would be better to have:

  sequence fat1,fat2

  (fat1=3D fighter attack {frame} 1)

  I hope these help you out.

  -----Thomas

Tom is quite right. We often forget that clarity and good documentation =
are essential to program maintenance. Have you never gone back to a six =
month old program, and stared at it trying to remember what xyz66_alpha =
stood for?

Of course, you have to be consistent and take it seriously. Not like I =
did some 15 years ago, when a too officious project leader ordered =
(ugh!) us programming troopers to name all variables in the COBOL =
Working-Storage Section (that's where you declare local vars, i.e. not =
corresponding to a file description or linked program) to be started =
with a "W". I guess she meant 'wdate' and 'w-name' and the like, but we =
immediately started to christen them "wilma", "wonderwoman", "wendy" and =
"whatisthis".

Sorry. Don't do it. <grin>

Gerardo E. Brandariz


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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Hey!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>(late as usual)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Nobody commented on this ?</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: =
0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
  <DIV=20
  style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
  <A href=3D"mailto:paulk at UNISERVE.COM" title=3Dpaulk at UNISERVE.COM>Paul =
Kerslake</A>=20
  </DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A=20
  href=3D"mailto:EUPHORIA at LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU"=20
  title=3DEUPHORIA at LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU>EUPHORIA at LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU</A> =
</DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, August 31, 2000 =
1:35=20
  PM</DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Discovery</DIV>
  <DIV><BR></DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>I'vve learnt a few things over the =
time that I've=20
  been programming. Most of you may already know these things but for =
those who=20
  don't:</FONT></DIV>
  <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>1. Organize your programs, I've had =
countless=20
  mess-ups due to a sloppy layout.</FONT></DIV>
  <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>2. Use the <STRONG>C</STRONG>lone=20
  option</FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>, Sometimes I find it best to =
try out=20
  something small and then put in my main program. </FONT></DIV>
  <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>3. Make CLEAR variable names, they =
don't=20
  necessarily have to be long; they just have to make =
sense:</FONT></DIV>
  <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Lets say you had this:</FONT></DIV>
  <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>sequence=20
  f1,f2&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; --Lets say these are for a =
"Fighter"=20
  attacking.</FONT></DIV>
  <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial =
  face=3DArial size=3D2>
  <DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial =
  <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
  <DIV>But it would be better to have:</DIV>
  <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
  <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>sequence fat1,fat2</FONT></DIV>
  <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
  <DIV>(fat1=3D fighter attack {frame} 1)</DIV>
  <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
  <DIV>I hope these help you out.</DIV>
  <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
  <DIV>-----Thomas</DIV>
  <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV>Tom is&nbsp;quite right. We often forget that clarity and good=20
documentation are essential to program maintenance. Have you never gone =
back to=20
a six month old program, and stared at it trying to remember what =
xyz66_alpha=20
stood for?</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Of course, you have to be consistent and take it seriously. Not =
like I did=20
some&nbsp;15 years ago, when a too officious project leader ordered =
(ugh!) us=20
programming troopers to name all variables in the COBOL Working-Storage =
Section=20
(that's where you declare local vars, i.e. not corresponding to a file=20
description or linked program) to be started with a "W". I guess she =
meant=20
'wdate' and 'w-name' and the like, but we immediately started to =
christen them=20
"wilma", "wonderwoman", "wendy" and "whatisthis".</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Sorry. Don't do it. &lt;grin&gt;</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Gerardo E. Brandariz</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: =
0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px">

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