Collective memory

[Gene Wirchenko]

"Rupert Pigott" <roo at dark-try-removing-this-boong.demon.co.uk> wrote:

>
>"Abigail" <abigail at abigail.nl> wrote in message
>news:slrnbgt6ls.ab5.abigail at alexandra.abigail.nl...
>> Walter Bushell (proto at panix.com) wrote on MMMDC September MCMXCIII in
>> <URL:news:1fxw51u.2b4m6zc39wulN%proto at panix.com>:
>> ++  Charles Richmond <richmond at ev1.net> wrote:
>> ++ <Snip>
>> ++ > int  *p, x, y;
>> ++ >
>> ++ > then:
>> ++ >
>> ++ >     y = x/*p;
>> ++ >
>> ++ > is quite different from:
>> ++ >
>> ++ >     y = x / *p;
>> ++ >
>> ++ > The first way, "/*" will begin a comment...the second way,
>> ++ > you get the integer "x" divided by the integer pointed to by "p".
>> ++
>> ++  Ouch!! That is one reason code coloring is *important*.
>>
>> Nope. That's a reason why code colouring is evil. If you write code,
>> and it isn't clear what you mean without the use of code colouring,
>> you did something wrong. Your code shouldn't rely on a specific code
>> colouring scheme to be understandable.
>>
>> All in my opinion of course.

     And mine.

>My preference has been to make heavy use of ()'s to
>make the meaning of expressions clear. Also I have
>seen people cut & paste expressions from one language
>to another without checking the precedence rules. You
>know what happened next ! :)

     Not unless I know the precedence rules.  <G>

     Another fun one is mixing languages that truncate when converting
float to integer and that round.  Like MBASIC 4 to MBASIC 5.  I still
remember that boneheaded maneuver over twenty years later.

Sincerely,

Gene Wirchenko

Computerese Irregular Verb Conjugation:
     I have preferences.
     You have biases.
     He/She has prejudices.