undefined | Better HN

0 pointssimonpantzare8y ago0 comments

I'd argue that there's a significant mental overhead reading code when it doesn't follow the same conventions, and that enforcing a style guide is a matter of having no broken windows. But of course there's no point trying to make shit look good.

0 comments

dep_b8y ago

A linter and code conventions are a way to make code more consistent and easier to switch between. At times it becomes hard to see what code you wrote and what somebody else wrote, which is a good thing. If I open a file and everything "just feels wrong" but I can't change it because enforcing my personal preferences are just my personal preferences is just making things worse that really takes some valuable energy away I could use for actually improving things. But I can get used to a coding guideline that's not 100% my preference but a well enforced and consistent one. Knowing that if I fix indenting and naming the fix will not enrage someone else.

dasmoth8y ago

At times it becomes hard to see what code you wrote and what somebody else wrote, which is a good thing.

I suspect this is the big point of disagreement between lint-advocates and many of those who are dubious. I generally don’t see big wins from collectivising code, and on the who prefer to treat people I’m working with as individuals who can be interacted with 1:1 vs an amorphous “the team” writing “the codebase”.

dep_b8y ago

Usually there’s a style that’s mandated by large authorities like C# formatting is mandated by Microsoft and JetBrains. Copying their style gets you there for 80%. The rest is whatever you agree on and usually not something that bothers me.

If you’re the guy that thinks having a 300 line function in an 8000 line class is just an individual way of expressing yourself you’ll have to fight me.

If you think real tabs is better than 4 spaces I shrug and let you have it your way.

1 more reply

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 comments

dep_b8y ago

dasmoth8y ago

At times it becomes hard to see what code you wrote and what somebody else wrote, which is a good thing.

dep_b8y ago

If you’re the guy that thinks having a 300 line function in an 8000 line class is just an individual way of expressing yourself you’ll have to fight me.

If you think real tabs is better than 4 spaces I shrug and let you have it your way.

1 more reply

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse