Comments on: The danger of commenting out code http://www.markhneedham.com/blog/2009/01/17/the-danger-of-commenting-out-code/ Thoughts on Software Development Sat, 13 Mar 2010 16:40:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Stephen McMahon http://www.markhneedham.com/blog/2009/01/17/the-danger-of-commenting-out-code/comment-page-1/#comment-27445 Stephen McMahon Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:14:11 +0000 http://www.markhneedham.com/blog/?p=853#comment-27445 It is my opinion that commenting out code is discourteous to other developers. Nothing to me is more frustrating than being assigned to find a bug in another developer's code only to find that the file is loaded with dead code. I'm dealing with a c# source file now for which not only is about 80% of it commented out, many of the commented out sections are surrounded with things like "#region Commented out" No joke. It is my opinion that commenting out code is discourteous to other developers. Nothing to me is more frustrating than being assigned to find a bug in another developer's code only to find that the file is loaded with dead code. I'm dealing with a c# source file now for which not only is about 80% of it commented out, many of the commented out sections are surrounded with things like "#region Commented out" No joke.

]]> By: Tiendq http://www.markhneedham.com/blog/2009/01/17/the-danger-of-commenting-out-code/comment-page-1/#comment-21740 Tiendq Wed, 26 Aug 2009 08:59:58 +0000 http://www.markhneedham.com/blog/?p=853#comment-21740 From my experiences developers often make long commenting out code for reference later, and they often forget to remove it when it is unnecessary too. It makes messy code. If you just want to do a quick test, feel free to comment code but please don't commit to code repository. It is likely that only you who know why the code is commented out. From my experiences developers often make long commenting out code for reference later, and they often forget to remove it when it is unnecessary too. It makes messy code. If you just want to do a quick test, feel free to comment code but please don't commit to code repository. It is likely that only you who know why the code is commented out.

]]> By: Coding: Unused code at Mark Needham http://www.markhneedham.com/blog/2009/01/17/the-danger-of-commenting-out-code/comment-page-1/#comment-21604 Coding: Unused code at Mark Needham Thu, 20 Aug 2009 22:56:50 +0000 http://www.markhneedham.com/blog/?p=853#comment-21604 [...] a way it is comparable to commenting code in that it creates doubt in people's minds about whether or not the code is actually important or [...] [...] a way it is comparable to commenting code in that it creates doubt in people's minds about whether or not the code is actually important or [...]

]]> By: Refactoring: Removing duplication more safely at Mark Needham http://www.markhneedham.com/blog/2009/01/17/the-danger-of-commenting-out-code/comment-page-1/#comment-18517 Refactoring: Removing duplication more safely at Mark Needham Thu, 11 Jun 2009 23:42:34 +0000 http://www.markhneedham.com/blog/?p=853#comment-18517 [...] was going on in the setup and then delete it once we had done so. I've written previously about my dislike for commented code but we were using it in this case as a mechanism to guide our refactoring and we didn't ever check [...] [...] was going on in the setup and then delete it once we had done so. I've written previously about my dislike for commented code but we were using it in this case as a mechanism to guide our refactoring and we didn't ever check [...]

]]> By: Mark Needham http://www.markhneedham.com/blog/2009/01/17/the-danger-of-commenting-out-code/comment-page-1/#comment-18127 Mark Needham Wed, 03 Jun 2009 21:11:33 +0000 http://www.markhneedham.com/blog/?p=853#comment-18127 Possibly even more nightmareish is when abbreviations on variable names no longer matches the class name because the class name has changed and the variable name hasn't. Then the code is truly confusing. There's a really good section in Code Complete about how we should name thhings in our code. I think I need to read it again from time to time to remind myself. Possibly even more nightmareish is when abbreviations on variable names no longer matches the class name because the class name has changed and the variable name hasn't. Then the code is truly confusing.

There's a really good section in Code Complete about how we should name thhings in our code. I think I need to read it again from time to time to remind myself.

]]> By: Mike http://www.markhneedham.com/blog/2009/01/17/the-danger-of-commenting-out-code/comment-page-1/#comment-18122 Mike Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:42:24 +0000 http://www.markhneedham.com/blog/?p=853#comment-18122 Finally, I thougth I was the only one that hated commented codes, the distraction, I cant stand it. if you use good descriptions of you're functions, objects and variables, and space out you're code reasonnably, comments are useless. But I also hate when they short name something, as dt for a datatable. Something like dtCarMakes keeps it simple, clear, and commenting it would d be useless. Finally, I thougth I was the only one that hated commented codes, the distraction, I cant stand it.

if you use good descriptions of you're functions, objects and variables, and space out you're code reasonnably, comments are useless.

But I also hate when they short name something, as dt for a datatable. Something like dtCarMakes keeps it simple, clear, and commenting it would d be useless.

]]> By: Dave Cameron http://www.markhneedham.com/blog/2009/01/17/the-danger-of-commenting-out-code/comment-page-1/#comment-15044 Dave Cameron Wed, 22 Apr 2009 03:28:33 +0000 http://www.markhneedham.com/blog/?p=853#comment-15044 A few people are referring to this, but I think it's worth calling out explicitly: commenting out code undermines the team's confidence in the code. It is close to an outright admission of "we don't understand how the system works, we don't understand how to fix it, we're just trying things and hoping it starts working better." That's not a great situation to be in. Even if that is close to reality, it's better to start building confidence by making deliberate changes. If the change is wrong, that's okay, and use version control to revert it. Don't be so afraid of making a mistake though, that old code is just buried further and further under comments in some sort of code-based landfill. A few people are referring to this, but I think it's worth calling out explicitly: commenting out code undermines the team's confidence in the code. It is close to an outright admission of "we don't understand how the system works, we don't understand how to fix it, we're just trying things and hoping it starts working better." That's not a great situation to be in.

Even if that is close to reality, it's better to start building confidence by making deliberate changes. If the change is wrong, that's okay, and use version control to revert it.

Don't be so afraid of making a mistake though, that old code is just buried further and further under comments in some sort of code-based landfill.

]]> By: Agile: What is it? at Mark Needham http://www.markhneedham.com/blog/2009/01/17/the-danger-of-commenting-out-code/comment-page-1/#comment-8372 Agile: What is it? at Mark Needham Mon, 09 Feb 2009 07:07:10 +0000 http://www.markhneedham.com/blog/?p=853#comment-8372 [...] previously written about the dangers of commenting code so I don't want to revisit that too much, suffice to say that it it usually possible to describe [...] [...] previously written about the dangers of commenting code so I don't want to revisit that too much, suffice to say that it it usually possible to describe [...]

]]> By: Paul A Houle http://www.markhneedham.com/blog/2009/01/17/the-danger-of-commenting-out-code/comment-page-1/#comment-4739 Paul A Houle Thu, 22 Jan 2009 17:59:45 +0000 http://www.markhneedham.com/blog/?p=853#comment-4739 Hell yeah. I worked with a team that loved to comment out code. Some source files were 80% commented code and 20% working code. This hurt readability a lot! Hell yeah.

I worked with a team that loved to comment out code. Some source files were 80% commented code and 20% working code. This hurt readability a lot!

]]> By: K. Adam Christensen http://www.markhneedham.com/blog/2009/01/17/the-danger-of-commenting-out-code/comment-page-1/#comment-4576 K. Adam Christensen Wed, 21 Jan 2009 16:21:29 +0000 http://www.markhneedham.com/blog/?p=853#comment-4576 Another reason, and for me, this is the most important: This can mess up merges. I've run into merges where commented blocks get intertwined with functional blocks and it's just a mess. It could even be something as innocuous as reformatting the commented blocks that end up causing a lot of unwanted pain. Another reason, and for me, this is the most important: This can mess up merges.

I've run into merges where commented blocks get intertwined with functional blocks and it's just a mess. It could even be something as innocuous as reformatting the commented blocks that end up causing a lot of unwanted pain.

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