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From: browns@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com (Stan Brown)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: Coding Standards.  was: a style question
Message-ID: <2055.27469abd@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com>
Date: 18 Nov 90 19:29:17 GMT
References: <1990Oct23.160116.10299@athena.mit.edu> <13@christmas.UUCP> <14369@smoke.brl.mil> <1990Nov10.191840.21113@clear.com>
Lines: 35

In article <1990Nov10.191840.21113@clear.com>, rmartin@clear.com (Bob Martin) writes:
> 
> The lack of standard coding practice IS a big problem for software
> maintenance.  At Clear we have instituted a style standard which
> [...] demands that comments always be placed on closing braces.

Am I the only one who thinks this extremely silly?

        int io_fatal_error_count = 0;

        void io_error(int code) 
        {
            char *errmsg;

            errmsg = io_stget(code);
            if (errmsg == NULL) {
        	++io_fatal_error_count;
        	printf("Error code %d: full explanation not available\n");
            }   /* end if errmsg is NULL */
            else
        	printf("Error %d: %s\n", code, errmsg);

        }   /* end of function prterr */

Given _any_ rule in a coding standard, it's possible to come up with an
example where applying the rule is inappropriate.  But the rule cited
above is the other way round: following it is more likely to hurt than
help.  Following it blindly will certainly hurt.

Just to hammer homee the point: My problem is chiefly with the "always"
part of the cited rule.

Please do not attribute these remarks to any other person or company.
                                   email: browns@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com
Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems, Cleveland, Ohio, USA    +1 216 371 0043