Re: [dev] c++-style comments [was fsbm]

From: Louis Santillan <lpsantil_AT_gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 6 Nov 2014 09:34:17 -0800

 There is one case where C++ style comment create a useful feature that I
 don't believe C style comments are able to replicate. Some might disagree.
 In a color syntax highlighting editor in a C99 codebase, you can prefix C
 style comments with C++ style comments and get single character feature
 enable/disabling.

   //* Remove first / to disable this block
   doSomething();
   //*/

 In a color syntax highlighting editor, doSomething(); takes on normal
 highlighting when enabled, and takes on comment colored highlighting when
 disabled. Visually, that's slightly improved over something like

   #ifdef DEBUG
   doSomething();
   #endif

 where you need to know what defines are created in your codebase, and maybe
 there is a clash with a header or deep in the header chain, and you need to
 know what defines are created on the command line.

On Thu, Nov 6, 2014 at 8:37 AM, Dimitris Papastamos <sin_AT_2f30.org> wrote:
> On Thu, Nov 06, 2014 at 10:28:51AM -0500, Bobby Powers wrote:
>> Can someone explain why they think /* */ sucks less than // ? It
>> doesn't seem like it is for compatibility when st and dwm require C99
>> anyway. An internet search did not turn up much, apologies if I've
>> missed an obvious link or previous discussion.
>
> For consistency with multiline comments and for allowing the code
> to compile with C89.
>
> Also // looks terrible.
>
> And no, the fact that /* */ cannot be nested is not an argument in
> favor of //.
>
Received on Thu Nov 06 2014 - 18:34:17 CET