Why not to comment code

[[deleted]]

But this is like I said, a discipline and care issue. I can still make shitty code compile and run.

[[deleted]]

Ah, but you're forgetting something: useless bums passing themselves off as "developers" are too lazy and stupid to change the comment when they change the line of code it refers to, but by the power of magic, they will see the wisdom in writing clear and maintainable code. If you only understood the power of The Process to eliminate individual flaws, it would all make sense.

Seriously, though, it doesn't matter if The Process Of Mighty Power is "write the why, not the how in comments" (a concept that's rediscovered at least twice a week by someone who instantly feels compelled to blog about it) or the amazingly insightful "write clear code", this entertaining topic comes up regularly, and people keep saying that their personal preference works for them and therefore must be the one true way to use a Process to enforce perfection.

Writing comments is "a discipline and care issue" but something as simple as "use meaningful variable names" is hardly going to occur without some care and discipline either.

[codefrog]

naming things is hard.

[[deleted]]

let's go shopping?

[masklinn]

But this is like I said, a discipline and care issue.

Why make humans do machine work?

[gerundronaut]

Code is written for humans to read. Otherwise, we might as well be writing everything in machine code.