[Coco] Re: the 6309 microproccessor project+

[KnudsenMJ at aol.com]

In a message dated 10/7/03 4:19:12 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
carlboll at CHICOCO.CHI.IL.US writes:

> Unfortunately in many cases this is the easiest way to do things just
>  because so much code is poorly commented and hard to follow.  It is
>  unfortunate that this is true.  I've actually had programmers tell me
>  the following things:

One other excuse for not commenting is, I'm afraid, true for me:
Comments can get out of date as the code they apply to is reworked.  I keep 
finding comments in UltiMusE source that no longer apply, are sometimes dead 
wrong.  Sometimes I take the time to update or delete them -- but, if such 
comments are more than a screen-view away from the code, they might not even be 
spotted in time.

Later, they can do more harm than good.
So, when you maintain code, you have to maintain the commentary too!
And once you know that, you tend to be more sparing about putting in comments 
in the first place.  Not good.

And yes, as I try to clean up the MIDI File importing code that I wrote 
almost 2 years ago, I keep asking "what WAS that crazy guy thinking?"

Confessions of a sinful programmer -- Mike K.
PS: I have cross-posted this to Dennis' new Coco List, which I signed up for 
right away -- let's see how it works.  And thank you, Dennis, from all of us!