1 / 83

Seven Ineffective Coding Habits of Many Programmers

Presented at NorDevCon (27th February 2015) <br><br>Habits help you manage the complexity of code. You apply existing skill and knowledge automatically to the detail while focusing on the bigger picture. But because you acquire habits largely by imitation, and rarely question them, how do you know your habits are effective? Many of the habits that programmers have for naming, formatting, commenting and unit testing do not stand up as rational and practical on closer inspection. <br><br>This talk examines seven coding habits that are not as effective as programmers believe, and suggests alternatives.

Kevlin
Download Presentation

Seven Ineffective Coding Habits of Many Programmers

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Seven Ineffective Coding Habits of Many Programmers @KevlinHenney

  2. It turns out that style matters in programming for the same reason that it matters in writing. It makes for better reading. Douglas Crockford JavaScript: The Good Parts

  3. Noisy Code

  4. Signal-to-noise ratio (often abbreviated SNR or S/N) is a measure used in science and engineering that compares the level of a desired signal to the level of background noise. Signal-to-noise ratio is sometimes used informally to refer to the ratio of useful information to false or irrelevant data in a conversation or exchange. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signal_to_noise_ratio

  5. To be, or not to be: that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them? William Shakespeare Hamlet

  6. Continuing existence or cessation of existence: those are the scenarios. Is it more empowering mentally to work towards an accommodation of the downsizings and negative outcomes of adversarial circumstance, or would it be a greater enhancement of the bottom line to move forwards to a challenge to our current difficulties, and, by making a commitment to opposition, to effect their demise? Tom Burton Long Words Bother Me

  7. public class RecentlyUsedList { private List<string> items; public RecentlyUsedList() { items = new List<string>(); } public void Add(string newItem) { if (items.Contains(newItem)) { int position = items.IndexOf(newItem); string existingItem = items[position]; items.RemoveAt(position); items.Insert(0, existingItem); } else { items.Insert(0, newItem); } } public int Count { get { int size = items.Count; return size; } } public string this[int index] { get { int position = 0; foreach (string item in items) { if (position == index) return item; ++position; } throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException(); } } }

  8. public class RecentlyUsedList { private List<string> items; public RecentlyUsedList() { items = new List<string>(); } public void Add(string newItem) { if (items.Contains(newItem)) { int position = items.IndexOf(newItem); string existingItem = list[position]; items.RemoveAt(position); items.Insert(0, existingItem); } else { items.Insert(0, newItem); } } public int Count { get { int size = items.Count; return size; } } public string this[int index] { get { int position = 0; foreach (string value in items) { if (position == index) return value; ++position; } throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException(); } } } public class RecentlyUsedList { private List<string> items = new List<string>(); public void Add(string newItem) { items.Remove(newItem); items.Add(newItem); } public int Count { get { return items.Count; } } public string this[int index] { get { return items[Count - index - 1]; } } }

  9. Comments A delicate matter, requiring taste and judgement. I tend to err on the side of eliminating comments, for several reasons. First, if the code is clear, and uses good type names and variable names, it should explain itself. Second, comments aren't checked by the compiler, so there is no guarantee they're right, especially after the code is modified. A misleading comment can be very confusing. Third, the issue of typography: comments clutter code. Rob Pike, "Notes on Programming in C"

  10. There is a famously bad comment style: i=i+1; /* Add one to i */ and there are worse ways to do it: /********************************** * * * Add one to i * * * **********************************/ i=i+1; Don't laugh now, wait until you see it in real life. Rob Pike, "Notes on Programming in C"

  11. A common fallacy is to assume authors of incomprehensible code will somehow be able to express themselves lucidly and clearly in comments. Kevlin Henney https://twitter.com/KevlinHenney/status/381021802941906944

  12. Unsustainable Spacing

  13. To be, or not to be: that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them? William Shakespeare Hamlet

  14. Continuing existence or cessation of existence: those are the scenarios. Is it more empowering mentally to work towards an accommodation of the downsizings and negative outcomes of adversarial circumstance, or would it be a greater enhancement of the bottom line to move forwards to a challenge to our current difficulties, and, by making a commitment to opposition, to effect their demise? Tom Burton Long Words Bother Me

  15. Continuing existence or cessation of existence: those are the scenarios. Is it more empowering mentally to work towards an accommodation of the downsizings and negative outcomes of adversarial circumstance, or would it be a greater enhancement of the bottom line to move forwards to a challenge to our current difficulties, and, by making a commitment to opposition, to effect their demise?

  16. Column 80 How many programmers lay out their code

  17. How people read

  18. To answer the question "What is clean design?" most succinctly: a clean design is one that supports visual thinking so people can meet their informational needs with a minimum of conscious effort. Daniel Higginbotham ∙ "Clean Up Your Mess — A Guide to Visual Design for Everyone" ∙ http://www.visualmess.com/

  19. You convey information by the way you arrange a design's elements in relation to each other. This information is understood immediately, if not consciously, by the people viewing your designs. Daniel Higginbotham ∙ "Clean Up Your Mess — A Guide to Visual Design for Everyone" ∙ http://www.visualmess.com/

  20. This is great if the visual relationships are obvious and accurate, but if they're not, your audience is going to get confused. They'll have to examine your work carefully, going back and forth between the different parts to make sure they understand. Daniel Higginbotham ∙ "Clean Up Your Mess — A Guide to Visual Design for Everyone" ∙ http://www.visualmess.com/

  21. public int howNotToLayoutAMethodHeader(int firstArgument, String secondArgument) public int ensureArgumentsAreAlignedLikeThis( int firstArgument, String secondArgument) public int orEnsureArgumentsAreGroupedLikeThis( int firstArgument, String secondArgument) public int butNotAlignedLikeThis(int firstArgument, String secondArgument)

  22. int doNotFormat = likeThis(someArgumentOrExpression, anotherArgumentOrExpression); int insteadFormat = somethingLikeThis( someArgumentOrExpression, anotherArgumentOrExpression); int orFormat = somethingLikeThis( someArgumentOrExpression, anotherArgumentOrExpression);

  23. int asItIs = unstable(someArgumentOrExpression, anotherArgumentOrExpression); int butThisIs = stable( someArgumentOrExpression, anotherArgumentOrExpression); int andThisIs = stable( someArgumentOrExpression, anotherArgumentOrExpression);

  24. public ResultType arbitraryMethodName(FirstArgumentType firstArgument, SecondArgumentType secondArgument, ThirdArgumentType thirdArgument) { LocalVariableType localVariable = method(firstArgument, secondArgument); if (localVariable.isSomething(thirdArgument, SOME_SHOUTY_CONSTANT)) { doSomethingWith(localVariable); } return localVariable.getSomething(); }

  25. public ResultType arbitraryMethodName( FirstArgumentType firstArgument, SecondArgumentType secondArgument, ThirdArgumentType thirdArgument) { LocalVariableType localVariable = method(firstArgument, secondArgument); if (localVariable.isSomething( thirdArgument, SOME_SHOUTY_CONSTANT)) { doSomething(localVariable); } return localVariable.getSomething(); }

  26. XXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX XXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX

  27. public ResultType arbitraryMethodName( FirstArgumentType firstArgument, SecondArgumentType secondArgument, ThirdArgumentType thirdArgument) { LocalVariableType localVariable = method(firstArgument, secondArgument); if (localVariable.isSomething( thirdArgument, SOME_SHOUTY_CONSTANT)) { doSomething(localVariable); } return localVariable.getSomething(); }

  28. XXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX XXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX

  29. public ResultType arbitraryMethodName( FirstArgumentType firstArgument, SecondArgumentType secondArgument, ThirdArgumentType thirdArgument) { LocalVariableType localVariable = method(firstArgument, secondArgument); if (localVariable.isSomething( thirdArgument, SOME_SHOUTY_CONSTANT)) { doSomething(localVariable); } return localVariable.getSomething(); }

  30. XXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX XXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXX

  31. Lego Naming

  32. Agglutination is a process in linguistic morphology derivation in which complex words are formed by stringing together morphemes, each with a single grammatical or semantic meaning. Languages that use agglutination widely are called agglutinative languages. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agglutination

  33. add process validate create Proxy Factory disable Manager set enable Controller Object get check do remove Value Exception Service

  34. public interface ConditionChecker { boolean checkCondition(); }

  35. public interface Condition { boolean isTrue(); }

  36. public Connection createConnection(Provider...) throws ConnectionFailureException ...

  37. public Connection connectTo(Provider...) throws ConnectionFailure ...

  38. AccessViolationException AccessViolationException ArgumentOutOfRangeException ArgumentOutOfRangeException ArrayTypeMismatchException ArrayTypeMismatchException BadImageFormatException BadImageFormatException CannotUnloadAppDomainException CannotUnloadAppDomainException EntryPointNotFoundException EntryPointNotFoundException IndexOutOfRangeException IndexOutOfRangeException InvalidOperationException InvalidOperationException OverflowException OverflowException

  39. AccessViolation AccessViolation ArgumentOutOfRange ArgumentOutOfRange ArrayTypeMismatch ArrayTypeMismatch BadImageFormat BadImageFormat CannotUnloadAppDomain CannotUnloadAppDomain EntryPointNotFound EntryPointNotFound IndexOutOfRange IndexOutOfRange InvalidOperation InvalidOperation Overflow Overflow

  40. ArgumentException ArgumentException ArithmeticException ArithmeticException ContextMarshalException ContextMarshalException FieldAccessException FieldAccessException FormatException FormatException NullReferenceException NullReferenceException ObjectDisposedException ObjectDisposedException RankException RankException TypeAccessException TypeAccessException

  41. Argument Argument Arithmetic Arithmetic ContextMarshal ContextMarshal FieldAccess FieldAccess Format Format NullReference NullReference ObjectDisposed ObjectDisposed Rank Rank TypeAccess TypeAccess

  42. InvalidArgument InvalidArgument InvalidArithmeticOperation InvalidArithmeticOperation FailedContextMarshal FailedContextMarshal InvalidFieldAccess InvalidFieldAccess InvalidFormat InvalidFormat NullDereferenced NullDereferenced OperationOnDisposedObject OperationOnDisposedObject ArrayRankMismatch ArrayRankMismatch InvalidTypeAccess InvalidTypeAccess

  43. Omit needless words. William Strunk and E B White The Elements of Style

More Related