Re: FOR ALL - Best Practices for navigating within code? -plus - Add-In's that help?

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Hello Miro,

Just a quick thought.. Nothin wrong with arrays.. but I prefer Collections (collections, lists, hashtables, arraylists, stacks, queues, etc) as they fit in with the object-oriented approach a lil better than standard arrays. They also have built-in support for adding/removing/indexing and they eliminate the need to ReDim anything. Explore both and see what you think. Also with the addition of generics in 2.0 (Or CodeSmith for 1.1 (CodeSmith is awesome for 2.0 as well)) the pain of creating strongly typed collections has been soothed.

-Boo

I do find I am running into a bit of a grouping issue, as to :
when I write a bunch of custom generic functions where to store them.
For example I like to do a lot of things in arrays. So I have a
function
that returns an array position of a
value, another that removes a certain element and redims the array and
so
on.
Currently I added / created a MiscLibrary Module and am most likly
will have
to split those up
and group them accordingly as I create more and more.
-That way Im assuming if later I try to create another program and
these
functions can be re-used I am
in effect creating my own Library of Functions and Subs.
-So I can just add this Module to a different Project later.
I just started in VB.net so I really havnt run into your headaches yet
of
huge programs, but i have run into them
with other languages and software created. So I am kinda following
the same
rules there and slowely re-writing them
for vb.
Thats why I guess I sometimes am looking to do something really
"weird" in
VB that seems "funny" to some of you when
I ask some questions here.
Just trying to code the same way in 1 langauge as in the other, and
then
slowly VB'ise it. ( If VB'ise is a real word )
Books can only take you so far. I think its the experience of another
programer that does make ur life a lot simpler.

So thanks for all the help so far.
And if anyone needs help with any old 4Gl languages... like ProIV...
Ask
away :-) - But thats a different newsgroup.
M.

"jeff" <jhersey at allnorth dottt com> wrote in message
news:exy%23laQzGHA.4396@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Cor,

Agree...calling out ... is over used in a lot of cases ...

ie...

MyMath Class

MyMath.AddNumbers(aNumber1,aNumber2) as Doublle
ReTURN aNumber1 + aNumber2)
End ...
Agree, if can be overused ... I have seen it too...

Agree Best Practice is the situation it is done for ... but I have
yet to find a situation where a single code segment is best practice
for a solution to a project .

my point was to identify starting points to decide where and when to
call out to other functions / classes and so on ... when you have
another problem to solve you have a case for another 'function'
'class' 'object' whatever ... this does not mean a decision you need
to make ...

ie...

If a = b then
....
Else
...
End if
should not be replaced with

if MyCompare(a,b) then
...
else
...
End if
Unless there is more business logic in the comparison ....because if
there is more business logic, this becomes a problem to solve rather
than a desicion...

JEff

"Cor Ligthert [MVP]" <notmyfirstname@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:OPyuRKQzGHA.4968@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jeff,

I have seen programs that did more calls (whatever that were) than
actual things.

I think that Best Practise has to do with the situation it is done
for.

Cor

"jeff" <jhersey at allnorth dottt com> schreef in bericht
news:udl6ZjPzGHA.4452@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Boo,

the boring part to some...is the exciting part to me...

being a 'self educated' / 'self-learned' programmer ... many of my
'rules' / 'standards' have been brought about by trial and error...
It is nice to read that some of the things I do, others do as well
... many times, I have hired (and fired) college and university
grads simply because they do not know how to code ... your code
needs to reflect your problem solving skills...if you tackle a
problem as a whole and do not plan...you end up with one big sub
routine with a few calls out to other modules / classes / functions
which are so tightly connected to the current problem that 're'
usability is out the window - you spend more time trying to solve
the large problem in one fare swoop - you end up wasting time,
spinning your wheels, bangin your head off the wall ... However, if
you break you problem into small, managable tasks and tackle each
task as a seperate, isolated project ... and break these smaller
projects into task...and tackle each task as a seperate, isolated
project ... for next til parent project is done ... yet get the
pictue ...

Now to the point...

your code should reflect your approach to solving the problem... in
Boos examlpe...

- focus on setting up datatable columns ... prime focus ... who
cares about the beginning and end ... you need to focus on setting
up datatable columns ... what you do after that is another problem
... how you populate them is another problem ... Once you can
setup datatable columns, move on ...

- fetch some records ... prime focus ... how do i fetch some
records ... need to connect to database ... need to query a table,
call a stored proc, query a view ... oops... this is a bigger
problem with smaller tasks ... 1. connect to database - focus /
sovle ... 2. query a table for records - focus / solve ... 3. query
a stored proc - focus / solve ... and so on.

- maniputate the data ... on the surface ... simple ... user
changes data ... done ... if there are other processes ... looking
/ comparing / calculating ... isolate each routine - focus / solve
... for example ... need to maniputate dates and phone numbers ...
focus on date validition, date formatting, date constriants ...
done ... focus on phone numbers ... validation, formatting,
constraints ... done. Now, anytime you need to 'manipulate dates'
... you re-use this code ... done.

- toss back to database ... prime focus ... need to connectting to
datasource ... database, done already , xml file or other source
... focus, code it ...

So, in the above, as Boo has already mentioned, you have at the
very least 4 distinct code blocks...with four distinctly different
responsibilities ... breaking code in to logical classes,
functions, procedures and so on ... is a lot better than a code
segment that needs 40 lines of text to explain 39 lines of code
.... to me, over commenting is a bad thing... if you find yourself
writing just as much comments as you do code ... you need to
rethink your design approach. Now, sometimes you need to add a
bunch of comments to explain something, or refresh your memory as
to why you have implemented a certain approach ... this is fine ...
but should be the exception and not the rule in commenting your
code.

Boo...I did bore...but to some, knowing others practice as you do,
validates your efforts...and makes you want to talk about it.

Thanks.
Jeff.
"GhostInAK" <ghostinak@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:c71747b42e4888c89a83d12a3152@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hello Miro,

Myself I'm a big fan of self-documenting code. Keep in mind there
is a right way and a wrong way to do this. In order for your code
to be self-documenting you have to plan.. you can't simply sit
down and start typing code. To make this work you MUST have
descriptive names for EVERYTHING. Something named "Cxn" or "Cnn"
just aint gonna cut it. Use fully descriptive identifiers like
"tConnection". Also, keep your function SMALL. As a general
rule, anything over 20-30 lines of code in a single function is a
bad thing. Lets say you have to set up the datatable columns,
fetch some records, manipulate them, and toss them back into the
database.. This is a MINIMUM of 4 different procedures (one for
each action).. and off the top of my head I can thionk of several
helper functions that would go with them. Yes, functionally you
could roll the whole thing into a single procedure.. but it
becomes hard to read and maintain then.. and this rant is about
self documenting code. If you break it into 4 separate functions
there's no need for comments in the code describing what blocks of
code does. A function called "SetupDataTable" obviously prepares
a datatable prior to filling it with data.

I've got a whole philosophy for design and implementation of
software.. I wont bore anyone with it unless ya ask me to.

Enjoy,
-Boo
I guess this brings up another question.

Do you just have a comment block on commenting what the Class /
functions ... etc do?

For example I usually do something like this:

PUBLIC CLASS
' This class blablablablbl alblablla alblalba
' balblal lbalbalb llablablaa
' and some more bla's
END CALSS
What do you guys put in there? Or do you even comment your
classes / functions like that?

-Just wondering
M.
"Rex" <rbasham@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1a1cf2lgv44f1fcolj4k3p73i8tcss2hl7@xxxxxxxxxx
Thanks, Cor, Boo, and Wolfgang,
Boo, thanks for your thoughtful reply - you make an excellent
point
about having some excellent standard for organizing - I shall
try to
implement that.
And Wolfgang - Thanks very much - CodeRusht looks like a
fantastic
product - which I think will REALLY help me in my coding.
Regards,
Rex
On Wed, 30 Aug 2006 21:18:21 +0200, "Wolfgang Hauer"
<hauer@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Have a look at coderush
www.devexpress.com
wolfgang
"Rex" <rbasham@xxxxxxxxxx> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:qr3bf2dipsm90m4dldn7k5qmkfoptuukh0@xxxxxxxxxx
Hi All - I have a question that I think MIGHT be of interest
to a number of us developers. I am somewhat new to VIsual
Studio 2005 but not new to VB. I am looking for ideas about
quick and efficient navigating within Visual Studio 2005.
Let's say your project (or solution) has dozens of forms and
hundreds or even thousands of routines.

Two Questions:

1) BUILT-IN to Visual Studio 2005. What ideas do you have to
quickly
navigate? For example, bookmarks help. But what other ideas do
you
have? How do you quickly get to some routine you haven't
looked at
in
a while and you're not totally sure what the name is? Is there
some
easy way to see ALL the names of ALL the routines in a project
(if
there is, I'm showing my ignorance here!) Here is what I know
- to
start out with:
* Bookmarks are useful. Normally they disappear when you close
your
files/project - but if you leave the files open and close the
SOLUTION, then bookmarks are saved.
* Ctrl-minus and Ctrl-Shift-minus takes you back and forward
among
recently edited areas.
Anyone else have further ideas?
2) Any 3rd-party add-in's that might help?
Thanks, everyone!

Rex



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