>>Your question of programming style
>
>Uggg, I hope I did not mention the dreaded S word.
>
<snip>
>Programmers don't like being told how to write code.
<snip>
>Style issues are usually best ignored.
Up to a point, Lord Copper!
"Programming Style" can refer to program layout and naming conventions (for
example).
In this case, I suggest that a reduction in freedom of expression is a good
thing, particularly for non-expert programmers(*). One of my bad habits as a
tutor is to spend time re-laying out a student's program so that it reflects
the program structure - ostensibly so that I can read it, but in the process
demonstrating to the student that they can apply secondary notation :-)) to
express structure and control flow. Leads to part of my definition of
readability.
All things being equal, this is easy to measure and dictate and automate (e.g.
pretty-print routines, cyclometric complexity measurements...).
Equally "Programming Style" can refer to the artefacts of the problem-solving
process that the programmer/developer/designer/... goes through in order to
achieve a particular goal.
Here it is more difficult to dictate - for all except the most trivial
problems there are several approches to a solution, and usually several
solutuions.
This is of course more interesting from a PPIG perspective - all to do with
mental models, exteternalisation of problem solving processes, comprehension
...
(*) not just novice programmers!
Only into day 2 and looks like 2001 is the year for AI interest in the media
:-)
Ron.
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