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From: SWH@NASVM.BITNET ("Steven W. Huggins")
Newsgroups: comp.lang.asm370
Subject: Re: programming style
Message-ID: <9103050154.AA17222@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: 4 Mar 91 18:56:45 GMT
References: <PHILIP@CLEMSON>
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: IBM 370 Assembly Programming Discussion List
              <ASM370@OHSTVMA.BITNET>
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On Wed, 27 Feb 91 08:22:00 EST Philip Harshman 3697 said:
>On Tue, 26 Feb 91 15:27:43 CST "John M. Kelsey" <C445585@UMCVMB.BITNET> said:
>>    One thing I've always done, but have seldom seen other programmers do,
>> is to use some character to separate the assembly language instructions and
>> operands from the line comments by some character--in my case, a semicolon.
>>
>> LOOPTOP   L          R4,0(R5)       ; Get ARR1(I) integer
>>
>>    Does anyone else do anything similar?
>
>At our shop we use the vertical or bar (|) for the same purpose:
>  LOOPTOP   L          R4,0(R5)       | Get ARR1(I) integer
>This makes a nice even line separating the code from the comments.  And I
>agree, it does make the code easier to follow.

Hi John and Philip,
  The history behind, why the special character, includes the following.
The MACRO assembler for DOS had a comment placement problem.  When code
was expanded, comments would float according to the variables pluged in.
The solution was to place a "special character" preceeding the comment.
This made the comments align properly. If you look at some old IBM code
you'll see a "." in front of some generated code.
  Now on to my personal preferance.  I don't use a special character
in front of my comments.  I do, however, have another ideosyncracy.
When the code is to branch somewhere I comment it with a ">".
e.i.
*--------------------------------------------------------------------*
*        R O U T I N E   T O   D O   S O M T H I N G                 *
*--------------------------------------------------------------------*
ROUTINE  EQU   *
         LA    R2,45           SET REG.2 TO 45.
         LA    R3,TABLE        POINT REG.3 TO TABLE.
LOOP     EQU   *
         CLI   0(R3),X'FF'     CHECK FOR END OF TABLE.
         BE    ENDROUT         >YES, BRANCH.
         ...
         LA    R3,8(,R3)       BUMP TO NEXT TABLE ENTRY.
         BCT   R2,LOOP         >GO LOOP UNTIL DONE.
ENDROUT  EQU   *

  We all have personal preferances in the way we code, of course I think
my code is the best and only way to code assembler.  Which losely
translates to don't try to teach this old dog any new tricks, I hate
change.

Enough for now,

Steve