In the world of software development, comments are a companion to code, they help us record our thoughts, explain complex logic, and provide guidance for those who come after us. However, the art of commenting lies in finding the right balance - neither too redundant nor too stingy. In this article, we'll look at how to elegantly write just the right amount of comments.
What are the comments for?
First, we need to recognize the value of annotations. Good annotations can be:
- Improve code readability: allow other developers or future you to quickly understand the function and purpose of a code segment.
- Promote teamwork: In team projects, clear annotations can reduce communication costs.
- Speed up the debugging process: when a problem occurs, annotations can help to quickly locate the problem.
So, comments must be written. When reading the source code, the lack of comments burdens the brain, just as it does when you go through Spring's source code, which has almost no comments. All you can see is the small amount of information provided when an exception is thrown. So it's not that most programmers don't understand Spring, it's that sometimes it's not meant to be easily understood.
Principles of Annotation
To write elegant annotations, you can follow a few principles:
- Relevance: annotate only important logic and decisions and avoid annotating obvious code.
- Succinctness: Notes should be clear and concise, avoiding length and verbosity.
- Clarity: Ensure that annotations clearly express their intent and avoid vague descriptions.
- Updatability: As the code is updated, the relevant comments are updated in a timely manner to avoid being misleading.
Here are some odd annotated counterexamples to ponder:
/*
*You may think you read the following code.
*However you didn't, trust me.
*Muddle through it, or you'll be up for many a night.
*curses this note under his breath, thinking he's being clever.
* really "optimize" the following code.
*Now close the file and go play something else.
*/
// I'm not sure if we need this or not, but it's extra scary to delete it.
// They made me write it, not of my own volition.
Practice Tips
In practical coding, here are some useful annotation tips:
- Function and method comments: Provide a short description of each function and method, including its arguments, return value, and any exceptions that may be thrown.
- Complex Logic Blocks: For complex logic, provide a short explanation to help understand its purpose and how it works.
- TODO annotations: Use TODOs to mark areas for further processing or improvement.
- Assumptions and decisions: for codes that are based on specific assumptions or decisions, annotate the reasons for those assumptions and decisions.
For example, there are now many AI coding tools available to help us write code that essentially reduce our typing time significantly. Using the time saved, we can focus more on optimizing our commented content. Not only does this help improve our own understanding of the code, but it can also greatly help others to grasp and maintain the code faster.
summarize
Elegant commenting is a balancing art that requires us to avoid over-commenting without sacrificing code clarity. By following the above principles and techniques, we can write comments that help both ourselves and others, thus improving the overall quality and maintainability of our code.
Remember, the purpose of comments is to communicate, whether it's with your future self or your current team members. Find that golden balance and make your code come alive with elegant comments.