It's probably time to stop recommending Clean Code (2020)

Re:It's probably time to stop recommending Clean Code (2020) by MillenialMan on Wednesday May 26, 2021 @04:27AM (#27287828)

I posted this elsewhere in the thread, but local blocks that define which variables they read, mutate and export would IMO be a very good solution to this problem:

    (reads: var_1, var_2; mutates: var_3) {
       var_3 = var_1 + var_2
       int result_value = var_1 * var_2
    } (exports: result_value)

    return result_value * 5

There are a couple of newer languages experimenting with concepts like this, Jai being one: https://youtu.be/5Nc68IdNKdg?t=3493

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:It's probably time to stop recommending Clean Code (2020) by throwaway2037 on Thursday May 27, 2021 @10:27AM (#27303556)

This is a fascinating idea. In some languages like C or Java or C#, the IDE can probably do this "for free" -- generate, then programmer can spot check for surprises. Or the reverse, highlight a block of code and ask the IDE to tell you about read/mutate/export. In some sense, when you use automatic refactoring tools (like IntelliJ), extract a few lines of code as a new method needs to perform similar static analysis.

In the latest IntelliJ, the IDE will visually hint about mutable, primitive-typed local variables (including method parameters). A good example is a for loop variable (i/j/k). The IDE makes it stand-out. When I write Java, I try to use final everywhere for primitive-typed local variables. (I borrowed this idea from functional programming styles.) The IDE gives me a hint if I accidentally forget to mark something as final.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:It's probably time to stop recommending Clean Code (2020) by ajuc on Thursday May 27, 2021 @11:31AM (#27304283)

> local blocks that define which variables they read, mutate and export would IMO be a very good solution to this problem:

this is basically a lambda you call instantly.

    [&x, y, z] () {
        x = y + z;
    }();

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:It's probably time to stop recommending Clean Code (2020) by MillenialMan on Friday May 28, 2021 @05:33AM (#27313333)

It's similar, but lambdas don't specify the behaviour as precisely, and they're not as readable since the use of a lambda implies a different intention, and the syntax that transforms them into a scope block is very subtle. They may also have performance overhead depending on the environment, which is (arguably) additional information the programmer has to consider on usage.

[ Parent | on HN ]