Nested Comments in C -- A recent experience

[Dave Jones]

>From article <2381 at dataio.Data-IO.COM>, by bright at Data-IO.COM (Walter Bright):
> In article <9130008 at hpavla.AVO.HP.COM> gary at hpavla.AVO.HP.COM (Gary Jackoway) writes:
> <<  (void) memcpy(/*targ*/ (void *) &x, /*src*/ (void *) &y, sizeof(y));
> <Wouldn't
> <//	           target:      source:
> <    (void) memcpy((void *) &x, (void *) &y, sizeof(y));
> <be more readable? Or maybe:
> </*  Copy y into x	*/
> <    (void) memcpy((void *) &x, (void *) &y, sizeof(y));
> 
> It's more readable if you eliminate the redundant clutter:
> 	memcpy(&x,&y,sizeof(y));	/* Copy y into x	*/


Strictly speaking, you have to keep the (void*) casts, just in case some
enemy system codes some kinds of pointers in screwy ways. It can happen.

So we got this:

   memcpy((void*)&x,(void*)&y,sizeof(y));   /* Copy y into x  */

Not too bad.

If I had my way, the C++ style out-to-the-end-of-the-line comment would
be the only kind available.


     //  Know what I mean, Bean?


But then, if I had my way, I wouldn't be programming now would I? I would
have WAY to much money to bother with work.

As it is, I use only two styles:


/*
 * Block comments
 * that can go on and on...
 */

... and ...

 /* ... out to end of line comments. */

The reason I don't do blocks ...

/*  ... like a bunch */
/*  of out to end */
/*  of line comments... */

... is that blocks like that are too hard to edit, especially if you
like to ...

/* ... line up the   */
/* comment-ends      */
/* nice and tidy.    */

Rarely, I do want to put comments on actual parameters, as in the
original memcpy example. I still use the o-t-e-o-l comment:

     memcpy( (void*)&y,     /* target */
             (void*)&x,     /* source */
             sizeof(y)
           );

I guess KR indentation purists would do this:

     memcpy( 
       (void*)&y,     /* target */
       (void*)&x,     /* source */
       sizeof(y)
     );

Nah, maybe not.

One of the most affected comment styles that I have seen inflicted on the
innocent code-reading public had all the comments on the left! Made me
just want to take the guy and shake him.

/*  It all looked */   main(argv, argc)
/*  really weird, */      char** argv;
/*  even pompous, */   {
/*  you know what */      printf("Goodbye, cruel world.\n");
/*  I mean, Bean? */   }