> On Nov 26, 2021, at 4:20 PM, Ryan Joseph <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> It's mainly useful when reading code so you don't need to review the function
> definition, using code tools or any other method. I've been enjoying it in
> other languages when it's not compulsory and FPC already supports the syntax
> so I thought it would be low hanging fruit.
I wanted to add a little case study from the compiler itself to see how to make
some really long function more readable.
1) Original form (the compiler doesn't use spaces between punctuation). Very
difficult to read if nothing else because the lack of spaces but it's also not
clear at all which params are which. Even code tools are going to not help very
much unless they can hilight the parameters in the editor. Either way you're
going to be spending time try to figure this one out.
candidates:=tcallcandidates.create(symtableprocentry,symtableproc,left,ignorevisibility,
not(nf_isproperty in flags),cnf_objc_id_call in
callnodeflags,cnf_unit_specified in callnodeflags,
callnodeflags*[cnf_anon_inherited,cnf_inherited]=[],cnf_anon_inherited in
callnodeflags,spezcontext);
2) Adding some line breaks helps a lot but it's still not clear what some of
the params are unless you jump to the function definition or get a tool tip on
the constructor and then even so you need to count the params to see which is
which, and this takes time and effort.
candidates:=tcallcandidates.create(symtableprocentry,
symtableproc,
left,
ignorevisibility,
not(nf_isproperty
in flags),
cnf_objc_id_call in
callnodeflags,
cnf_unit_specified
in callnodeflags,
callnodeflags*[cnf_anon_inherited,cnf_inherited]=[],
cnf_anon_inherited
in callnodeflags,
spezcontext);
3) Clearly defined names each on their own line is obviously the easiest to
read at a glance. Even if no line breaks were present the editor could style
the param names a different color and they would be easy to read.
candidates:=tcallcandidates.create(sym:=symtableprocentry,
st:=symtableproc,
ppn:=left,
ignorevisibility:=ignorevisibility,
allowdefaultparas:=not(nf_isproperty in flags),
objcidcall:=cnf_objc_id_call in callnodeflags,
explicitunit:=cnf_unit_specified in callnodeflags,
searchhelpers:=callnodeflags*[cnf_anon_inherited,cnf_inherited]=[],
anoninherited:=cnf_anon_inherited in callnodeflags,
spezcontext:=spezcontext);
4) For contrast here's a bad example of named params which we want to avoid.
Languages like Swift encourage this kind of thing and I think it's less
readable and adds clutter.
pt := MakePoint(x:= 1, y := 2); // cluttered and doesn't add any useful
information
pt := MakePoint(1, 2); // normal calling syntax, easy to read
and clean
Regards,
Ryan Joseph
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