The use of comments in source code is important in programming because it allows developers to document and explain how the code works, facilitate collaboration between team members, and help with code maintenance and long-term understanding.
When a developer comes behind you, they should quickly grasp what you meant with your code. Comments help a bit like signs on a road: they clearly indicate where you want to go and why you are taking that path. Clear code with well-placed comments really limits the time wasted deciphering obscure lines. Writing exactly what a function does, explaining why to use a certain variable, or specifying the overall goal of a piece of code can prevent quite a few headaches. Even you, after a few months on other projects, will appreciate finding those little explanations rather than cursing at your screen to understand what you meant to do back then.
When multiple developers work on the same project, having commented code helps to avoid misunderstandings. Everyone can quickly understand what a function or a piece of code does, without spending hours trying to guess each other's intentions. It prevents spending time at a colleague's desk asking questions every 5 minutes. With clear comments, we gain in efficiency, everyone knows exactly where they stand, and the project progresses much faster. New developers joining midway can get up to speed without too much hassle, greatly facilitating their integration into the team.
When the software crashes or behaves erratically, clear comments in the code greatly assist developers in quickly identifying what is wrong. Instead of spending hours deciphering obscure code like a puzzle, they can quickly recognize the intended logic by the original developer. This minimizes errors, speeds up fixes, and ultimately saves them a lot of hassle. In short, with relevant comments, repairing and maintaining software becomes simpler, less risky, and even less stressful.
Using comments is a bit like leaving explanatory notes next to the buttons on a complicated dashboard. It clearly describes what each function or piece of code does without having to analyze everything line by line. Thanks to this, even someone new to the project, or yourself a few months later, can immediately grasp the specific purpose of a given feature. It prevents misunderstandings, reduces errors, and above all, you keep a concrete record of every technical choice. In short, comments are a bit like the project's written memory.
Comments in the code mainly help to ensure the sustainability of the project. Without them, understanding an old piece of code becomes a hassle, even for the one who wrote it. A sustainable project should be easy to pick up again, even years later, when the original team has departed or forgotten certain technical details. Comments help preserve the knowledge related to the software, which is valuable if you want to avoid your project sinking as soon as the lead developer leaves. In short, well-commented code makes your project robust, ready to evolve, and above all, prevents wasting time or money reinventing the wheel.
The term 'rubber duck debugging' comes from a debugging technique that involves explaining your code line by line to an inanimate object (like a plastic duck). Well-written comments can act as your personal duck, facilitating better reflection on your code.
Some modern programming languages have automated documentation systems that directly utilize comments written in a specific format to automatically generate clear technical documentation.
According to a study, developers spend an average of 10 times more time reading existing code than writing new code. Good comments reduce this time by quickly clarifying the intention behind each block of code.
About funny comments: It is a tradition for developers to sometimes include humorous or amusing notes in significant projects, often referred to as 'Easter Eggs,' which can be read by their fellow developers as a wink to lighten the mood.
Sure. Here’s the translation: "Yes. Comments should be short, clear, and relevant. Avoid overly general or redundant comments; prefer to explain why a specific solution was chosen rather than explaining what the code does explicitly."
No, not at all. Comments are ignored during execution. They do not affect the performance of the program and do not increase its execution time.
A comment is an annotation in the source code that provides a quick explanation of a particular part of that code. Code documentation is generally more structured and comprehensive, and it serves to fully document the functionality, usage, or API of a project.
It is not necessary to comment on every line of code. The important thing is to comment on ambiguous sections or those open to interpretation, as well as any non-obvious technical choices that might be confusing for other developers or even for yourself in the future.
There are various tools such as Doxygen, Javadoc, and Sphinx. These tools are useful for automating the generation and structuring of documentation based on comments written in the code.
It is advisable to use comments whenever the code becomes complex, abstract, or difficult to understand, as well as at the beginning of functions and modules to explain their roles and clearly specify what is expected.
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