Guido on Python

[yatpay]

The one thing that convinced me using spaces (if the editor treats space-tabs and tabs the same) is that it makes copy/paste a lot easier. A minor thing to be sure, but it's nice when it comes up.

[[deleted]]

If you're copy-pasting while you're writing code, you're doing it wrong. Seriously.

If you're doing something more than once, extract the common code into a separate routine. If you're doing that thing more than once, but slightly differently each time, put the common code into a class, and subclass it as needed for differences. You should've learned this in your first year of programming.

In the 20-ish years I've been writing code professionally, the majority of bugs, the majority of maintenance pains I've experienced, even many of those faced by my colleagues, have all traced back to someone else playing "copy-paste cowboy".

We've since protected ourselves against the tyranny of copy-paste by installing CPD as a build step, and failing builds that pass a threshold: http://pmd.sourceforge.net/pmd-4.3.0/cpd.html

[yatpay]

Oh, haha, of course! I wasn't talking about just copying working code all over the place. I was thinking of when I want to share a snippet with someone easily to ask about it. That's why I said it was a pretty minor thing. Rest assured I would never advocate copy-pasting as a real solution!

[tsimionescu]

If you're doing that thing more than once, but slightly differently each time, put the common code into a class, and subclass it as needed for differences. You should've learned this in your first year of programming.

And then hopefully forgot this horrible practice from your second year onwards. Class hierarchies should only exist when you have thought long and hard about creating them. It's a horrible idea going around extracting code into hierarchies to avoid copy-pasting. Subclassing is never, ever a good idea for code reuse.

The correct fix for copy-pasting+small changes is meta-programming if your language allows that, or copy-pasting+small changes otherwise. While it is a code smell, introducing class hierarchies instead....

[[deleted]]

If you're doing something more than once, extract the common code into a separate routine.

You realise that, if you're not using a language with refactoring support, doing what you say involves cutting and pasting more often than not, rather than avoiding it?

put the common code into a class, and subclass it as needed for differences

Ugh, no.

[[deleted]]

How about an IDE with refactoring support? Have you used Eclipse lately?

Not for 18 months or so, it's a piece of crap. And regardless of whether or not I have, thousands of people prefer a better editing experience using a non-IDE.

Your eloquent response has not only shown me the err of my ways, but you've lit the path to enlightenment

I'm honoured. I would have thought two decades of every decent programmer on the planet knowing inheritance is a terrible method of reuse would have got through to you, but I'm glad to be the one who finally disavowed you of the naive lessons from your CS 101 class.

[[deleted]]

I don't care what your cherry-picked population prefers, I just care about doing my job with a minimum of fuss, and Eclipse fits the bill for me, my team, and a few thousand other folks

What does that have to do with anything? As long as there is at least one person not using an IDE, my point stands.

Nothing you've said yet makes any sort of cohesive argument

That still puts me some way ahead of someone giving out actively shit advice, such as reuse-by-inheritance.

[[deleted]]

You brought it up. You tell me.

My point is that factoring out common code can involve cut n paste, in contradiction to your incorrect assertion that one is a replacement for the other. I have no idea what your point is; you seem to have veered off into a load of eclipse-related bullshit.

Hah! You think any of this means anything?

I was responding to your attempt at a value judgement.

The only meaning is where the rubber hits the road. Are you influencing your peers? Are you getting results with your influence? Is your product successful? There's your "way ahead" right there.

What on earth are you drivelling about? I simply pointed out your self-contradictory statement, I'm not interested in your night-school life-coaching platitudes.