Docstrings considered too complicated

Ben Finney ben+python at benfinney.id.au
Tue Mar 2 18:42:04 EST 2010


Andreas Waldenburger <usenot at geekmail.INVALID> writes:

> It works. They are supposed to make it work. And that's what they do.
> Whether or not they put their docstrings in the place they should does
> not change that their code works.

No-one has been denying that.

What the quality of their source code *does* affect, though, is its
maintainability over time – especially in the inevitable event that the
relationship with you as their customer comes to an end.

The arguments I've seen here in this sub-thread have been in favour of
customers demanding that the code meets functional requirements *and*
soruce code quality requirements.

Just as customers should demand both that a building be built to do its
job well, *and* that its architectural plans meet measurable, testable
industry standards of quality for independent re-use at some
indeterminate later date.

If we don't demand such things as customers of program developers, we
deserve what programs we get.

-- 
 \           “Special today: no ice cream.” —mountain inn, Switzerland |
  `\                                                                   |
_o__)                                                                  |
Ben Finney



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