Re: Is there a way to do large block of source code comments

[Shark8 <OneWingedShark@gmail.com>]

On 9/3/2014 7:37 PM, robin.vowels@gmail.com wrote:
> On Thursday, September 4, 2014 1:32:21 AM UTC+10, Shark8 wrote:
>> On 02-Sep-14 18:07, r.nospam@gmail.com wrote:
>>
>>>> No, this was explicitly omitted. See the Ada-83 Rationale 2.1: "Single comments
>>
>>>>> that are larger than one line are not provided. Such comments would require a
>>
>>>>> closing comment delimiter and this would again raise the dangers associated with
>>
>>>>> the (unintentional) omission of the closing delimiter: entire sections of a
>>
>>>>> program could be ignored by the compiler without the programmer realizing it, so
>>
>>>>> that the program would not mean what he thinks. Long comments can be written as
>>
>>>>> a succession of single line comments, thus combining elegance with safety."
>>
>>>
>>
>>> The above quotation is mere hype, like the author's justification for omitting
>>
>>> exponentiation in Pascal, somehow more convenient to use log and exp instead!
>>
>> No, the above is a quotation from the Ada Rationale.
>
> But it's still hype.


hype

verb (used with object), hyped, hyping.
1. to stimulate, excite, or agitate (usually followed by up):
2. to create interest in by flamboyant or dramatic methods; promote or 
publicize showily: a promoter who knows how to hype a prizefight.
3. to intensify (advertising, promotion, or publicity) by ingenious or 
questionable claims, methods, etc. (usually followed by up).
4. to trick; gull.

noun
5. exaggerated publicity; hoopla.
6. an ingenious or questionable claim, method, etc., used in 
advertising, promotion, or publicity to intensify the effect.
7. a swindle, deception, or trick.

-----
I really don't see how it's hype.
What definition are you using?

>> It says that only single-line comments terminated by the end of the line
>> were chosen so that there was no way that closing a multiline comment
>> could be forgotten. Period.
>>
>>> Live parsing editors are useful tools, because they highlight
>>> code segments (including comments).
>>
>> What has this got to do with *anything* WRT comments?
>
> Um, comments highlighted in a different color from the code
> make it clear which is commented.
>

So?
If that's the be-all / end-all of your editor then it's no wonder CS is 
in such a horrid state -- editors 'understanding' syntax and semantics 
well enough for syntax-highlighting is a pretty low bar.

I suggest you read up on research on things like DIANA and the R-1000 
(80's tech) which will illuminate you on just how poorly tool 
development has progressed [regressed?] over the past several decades.