From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.3 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,INVALID_MSGID autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: f43e6,9a0ff0bffdf63657 X-Google-Attributes: gidf43e6,public X-Google-Thread: 103376,4b06f8f15f01a568 X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public X-Google-Thread: fac41,9a0ff0bffdf63657 X-Google-Attributes: gidfac41,public X-Google-Thread: 1108a1,9a0ff0bffdf63657 X-Google-Attributes: gid1108a1,public From: "Robert Martin" Subject: Re: Software landmines (loops) Date: 1998/09/01 Message-ID: <6shhcq$lid$1@hirame.wwa.com>#1/1 X-Deja-AN: 387119688 References: <902934874.2099.0.nnrp-10.c246a717@news.demon.co.uk> <6r1glm$bvh$1@nnrp1.dejanews.com> <6r9f8h$jtm$1@nnrp1.dejanews.com> <6renh8$ga7$1@nnrp1.dejanews.com> <6rf59b$2ud$1@nnrp1.dejanews.com> <6rfra4$rul$1@nnrp1.dejanews.com> <35DBDD24.D003404D@calfp.co.uk> <6sbuod$fra$1@hirame.wwa.com> <35f51e53.48044143@ <904556531.666222@miso.it.uq.edu.au> <6sf87j$47n$1@hirame.wwa.com> <6sh6ic$o8p$1@nnrp1.dejanews.com> X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.2106.4 Organization: WorldWide Access - Midwestern Internet Services - www.wwa.com Newsgroups: comp.lang.eiffel,comp.object,comp.software-eng,comp.lang.ada Date: 1998-09-01T00:00:00+00:00 List-Id: sureshvv@hotmail.com wrote in message <6sh6ic$o8p$1@nnrp1.dejanews.com>... >In article <6sf87j$47n$1@hirame.wwa.com>, > "Robert Martin" wrote: >> >1. Early returns aid in limiting the amount of code that has to be processed >and understood. I disagree. It only limits the amount of code to read for one particular iteration of the loop. But to understand the loop you have to read it all. > >2. Understandability is the most important criterion for maintainability. I disagree again. An easily modifiable structure is much more important than understandability. *Any* structure built by a human can be understood by most other humans. Once understood, the work is over. But a structure that is hard to maintain, remains hard to maintain until you redesign it. There are many structures that are easy to understand but hard to maintain. >Making the code as simple as possible in order to solve the problem at hand >is more important than trying to make it easier to change against some >imaginary future changes. I disagree one last time. Two digit dates are much easier to deal with than four digit dates. Until the century changes... The engineer who does not design for maintainability, is doing a disservice to himself, his fellow engineers, and his employer. Robert C. Martin | Design Consulting | Training courses offered: Object Mentor | rmartin@oma.com | Object Oriented Design 14619 N Somerset Cr | Tel: (800) 338-6716 | C++ Green Oaks IL 60048 | Fax: (847) 918-1023 | http://www.oma.com "One of the great commandments of science is: 'Mistrust arguments from authority.'" -- Carl Sagan