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Program Repair Shop

63

Repeated Code

     Subject: format Question
     Message-ID: <pqalftcopgu5addk8tkd0rlnfgujp1pef6@4ax.com>

     ...
     y/A-Za-z/2223334445556667778889990022233344455566677788899900/;
     ...

• I had to grovel over the right side to make sure it was the same thing twice

• Quick! What is the translation of mjd?

• Better:

        y/A-Z/a-z/;
        y/a-z/22233344455566677788899900/;
        #     abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz

• Comments like this have a high information value

• Notice the way the comment is formatted

• It's easier to see than to think

• Here's a possible innovation:

        y/A-Z/a-z/;
        y{abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz}
         {22233344455566677788899900};

• Now the comment is unnecessary

• Which is better?

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Copyright © 2002 M. J. Dominus