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The Voice of the DBA

Better Comments

I assume most of your comment your code.

Well, you probably comment code most of the time.

I'd bet your comments have quite a bit of detail.

And you do this completely inconsistently.

That's what I'd think, or maybe just what I want. Even the best developers I know will not consistently comment code. You can drift through any project on Github and see this. Those projects on GitHub might even be better documented because people know they are public. In most corporate environments I have worked in, I'll find that when people get busy, or distracted, or even when they're experimenting to find a solution, and they don't write detailed comments. Usually only when someone fixes a bug, with a solution found quickly, do I get a really useful comment.

There are all sorts of ways that people think about commenting their code. I ran across a post from Annette Allen about adding comments. She noted that she has headers in her stored procedures and other comments. However, after a few months, she wasn't sure that the comments actually helped her. I've had that same feeling at times when looking back at comments, both mine and others.

Do you have a method for choosing the words you use to comment code? Jeff Atwood says to comment on why you did something, not what. I've seen that before, especially with version control commit comments. We often can look at code to determine what it does, and if you use a VCS extensively, then you can always see the changes that were made between versions. The comments typically give me some rationale for the work I did. Over time, I find that if I think about how I'd explain my reasoning to myself in the future, I come up with a good comment.

You might feel differently, and if so, please let me know. Perhaps there are some good ideas you have about choosing comments, and perhaps you have examples. Some might include a bug or Jira number, which I like, but others may hate. These could be comments inline in code or those you use when comimtting to a VCS.

Share some thoughts today, and if you have any entries for the best code comment, drop them here.

Steve Jones from SQLServerCentral.com

Join the debate, and respond to today's editorial on the forums

The Voice of the DBA Podcast

Listen to the MP3 Audio ( 3.1MB) podcast or subscribe to the feed at iTunes and Libsyn. feed

The Voice of the DBA podcast features music by Everyday Jones. No relation, but I stumbled on to them and really like the music.

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SQL In The City

SQL in the City Streamed – Compliant DevOps: June 20 2018

Join Redgate’s livestream on June 20 and learn from Microsoft Data Platform MVPs, Steve Jones, Grant Fritchey and Kathi Kellenberger. The schedule will include sessions to help you learn how to demonstrate compliance with regulations such as the GDPR, HIPAA and SOX. Find out more and register for free

SQL In The City

SQL in the City Streamed – Compliant DevOps: June 20 2018

Join Redgate’s livestream on June 20 and learn from Microsoft Data Platform MVPs, Steve Jones, Grant Fritchey and Kathi Kellenberger. The schedule will include sessions to help you learn how to demonstrate compliance with regulations such as the GDPR, HIPAA and SOX. Find out more and register for free

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Question of the Day

Today's Question (by Steve Jones):

What are the options for automatic tuning in Azure SQL Database (May 2018)?

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Yesterday's Question of the Day

Yesterday's Question (by Evgeny Garaev):

How can I use a Windows shared folder on a Linux server?

Answer: Mount the Windows share as a CIFS share

Explanation:

Mounting the Windows folder as a CIFS (Common Internet File System)  share is the right answer.

Ref: Mounting an SMB Share -  click here

» Discuss this question and answer on the forums

Featured Script

Database-based Transaction Counting Find Script

Yusuf Kahveci from SQLServerCentral.com

Within the last minute you can learn about our transaction volume on our database with our script below.

NOTE: You can monitor the number of transactions that occur within the range of 10 minutes, 2 minutes, etc., by entering the desired time interval into the WAITFOR DELAY statement.
This script can also be graphically monitored in charts via SSRS by being converted into Jobs in certain periods.
Yusuf KAHVECI
yusufkahveci@sqlturkiye.com
www.sqlturkiye.com
Thanks.

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