Rules for Posting code

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  • Andy B
    #1

    Rules for Posting code

    Before I do a no no on a newsgroup, I need to ask a question: What is the
    max number of lines of code you can/should post here before it gets too
    long?



    Tags: None
    • rowe_newsgroups
      #2
      Re: Rules for Posting code

      On Jun 11, 7:36 am, "Andy B" <a_bo...@sbcglo bal.netwrote:
      Before I do a no no on a newsgroup, I need to ask a question: What is the
      max number of lines of code you can/should post here before it gets too
      long?
      In my opinion if you are posting a question you should limit it the
      the fewest lines of code that demonstrate the problem. Often times you
      can pull out the extraneous actions and show only the ones that are
      causing the problem. What you need to remember is that most people
      here are not going to copy and paste your code into Visual Studio and
      manually run through and try to find the problem. Most of us will
      probably just read the code and offer what feedback we can. With that
      said you want to keep it as simple as possible so when we browse
      through the code we can mentally track what is going on. In my
      opinion, I wouldn't recommend posting a question with code that has
      more than 20 lines and a Cyclomatic Complexity (holy cow, was that a
      college word I just used?) more than 6 or 7. Anything more and it'll
      be hard to find what the problem is just by looking at the code.

      However when it comes to posting a code sample in response to a
      question the rules change. As far as I'm concerned if you are posting
      code to help someone you should not skimp on what you provide. It
      doesn't need to be a full fledged working sample tailored just for the
      poster, I usually just post the pieces that are needed to get the
      poster back on track, but I leave the "standard" bits and replace them
      with comments on what needs to go there.

      One other thing I learned long ago is to put your code in
      distinguishing blocks to separate them from the rest of the code. The
      model I follow (which was inspired by Herfried Wagner) is to put code
      snippets in blocks like so:

      /////////////////
      Public Sub foo()
      '// Do something cool
      End Sub
      /////////////////

      Anyways, I'm not sure I answered your exact question, but its really
      just a judgment call on your end. The worst thing that can happen is
      that your post will be ignored because it will be too much work to
      read through a huge code sample. That's probably the most important
      thing to realize, the longer and more complex your post, the lesser
      chance it will be answered.

      Thanks,

      Seth Rowe [MVP]

        Comment

        • Phill W.
          #3
          Re: Rules for Posting code

          Andy B wrote:
          Before I do a no no on a newsgroup, I need to ask a question: What is the
          max number of lines of code you can/should post here before it gets too
          long?
          Just focus on a /specific/ problem or idea in a single thread and then,
          basically:

          "Start at the Beginning, go on until the End, and then stop".

          Regards,
          Phill W.

            Comment

            • Andy B
              #4
              Re: Rules for Posting code

              Ok. Kind of answers the question. At least I know better how to try and deal
              with things on that now...

              I asked because I am having a problem with an asp.net wizard control and
              some code to run one of the WizardSteps. I have to determine if I can, where
              the particular problem(s) are at and then figure out how to copy the code
              out and put it here. It's hard in this example, because the 10 or so lines
              of code that might be the problem depends on the result of 40 other lines of
              code. Is it uncommon to create a dummy application and try to reproduce the
              code giving the problem with simpler code and post that dummy code if it
              causes the same issues?


              "rowe_newsgroup s" <rowe_email@yah oo.comwrote in message
              news:48b744d1-db36-455a-b248-ff3e11e9db08@c6 5g2000hsa.googl egroups.com...
              On Jun 11, 7:36 am, "Andy B" <a_bo...@sbcglo bal.netwrote:
              >Before I do a no no on a newsgroup, I need to ask a question: What is the
              >max number of lines of code you can/should post here before it gets too
              >long?
              >
              In my opinion if you are posting a question you should limit it the
              the fewest lines of code that demonstrate the problem. Often times you
              can pull out the extraneous actions and show only the ones that are
              causing the problem. What you need to remember is that most people
              here are not going to copy and paste your code into Visual Studio and
              manually run through and try to find the problem. Most of us will
              probably just read the code and offer what feedback we can. With that
              said you want to keep it as simple as possible so when we browse
              through the code we can mentally track what is going on. In my
              opinion, I wouldn't recommend posting a question with code that has
              more than 20 lines and a Cyclomatic Complexity (holy cow, was that a
              college word I just used?) more than 6 or 7. Anything more and it'll
              be hard to find what the problem is just by looking at the code.
              >
              However when it comes to posting a code sample in response to a
              question the rules change. As far as I'm concerned if you are posting
              code to help someone you should not skimp on what you provide. It
              doesn't need to be a full fledged working sample tailored just for the
              poster, I usually just post the pieces that are needed to get the
              poster back on track, but I leave the "standard" bits and replace them
              with comments on what needs to go there.
              >
              One other thing I learned long ago is to put your code in
              distinguishing blocks to separate them from the rest of the code. The
              model I follow (which was inspired by Herfried Wagner) is to put code
              snippets in blocks like so:
              >
              /////////////////
              Public Sub foo()
              '// Do something cool
              End Sub
              /////////////////
              >
              Anyways, I'm not sure I answered your exact question, but its really
              just a judgment call on your end. The worst thing that can happen is
              that your post will be ignored because it will be too much work to
              read through a huge code sample. That's probably the most important
              thing to realize, the longer and more complex your post, the lesser
              chance it will be answered.
              >
              Thanks,
              >
              Seth Rowe [MVP]

                Comment

                • rowe_newsgroups
                  #5
                  Re: Rules for Posting code

                  On Jun 11, 8:37 am, "Andy B" <a_bo...@sbcglo bal.netwrote:
                  Ok. Kind of answers the question. At least I know better how to try and deal
                  with things on that now...
                  >
                  I asked because I am having a problem with an asp.net wizard control and
                  some code to run one of the WizardSteps. I have to determine if I can, where
                  the particular problem(s) are at and then figure out how to copy the code
                  out and put it here. It's hard in this example, because the 10 or so lines
                  of code that might be the problem depends on the result of 40 other lines of
                  code. Is it uncommon to create a dummy application and try to reproduce the
                  code giving the problem with simpler code and post that dummy code if it
                  causes the same issues?
                  >
                  "rowe_newsgroup s" <rowe_em...@yah oo.comwrote in message
                  >
                  news:48b744d1-db36-455a-b248-ff3e11e9db08@c6 5g2000hsa.googl egroups.com...
                  >
                  On Jun 11, 7:36 am, "Andy B" <a_bo...@sbcglo bal.netwrote:
                  Before I do a no no on a newsgroup, I need to ask a question: What is the
                  max number of lines of code you can/should post here before it gets too
                  long?
                  >
                  In my opinion if you are posting a question you should limit it the
                  the fewest lines of code that demonstrate the problem. Often times you
                  can pull out the extraneous actions and show only the ones that are
                  causing the problem. What you need to remember is that most people
                  here are not going to copy and paste your code into Visual Studio and
                  manually run through and try to find the problem. Most of us will
                  probably just read the code and offer what feedback we can. With that
                  said you want to keep it as simple as possible so when we browse
                  through the code we can mentally track what is going on. In my
                  opinion, I wouldn't recommend posting a question with code that has
                  more than 20 lines and a Cyclomatic Complexity (holy cow, was that a
                  college word I just used?) more than 6 or 7. Anything more and it'll
                  be hard to find what the problem is just by looking at the code.
                  >
                  However when it comes to posting a code sample in response to a
                  question the rules change. As far as I'm concerned if you are posting
                  code to help someone you should not skimp on what you provide. It
                  doesn't need to be a full fledged working sample tailored just for the
                  poster, I usually just post the pieces that are needed to get the
                  poster back on track, but I leave the "standard" bits and replace them
                  with comments on what needs to go there.
                  >
                  One other thing I learned long ago is to put your code in
                  distinguishing blocks to separate them from the rest of the code. The
                  model I follow (which was inspired by Herfried Wagner) is to put code
                  snippets in blocks like so:
                  >
                  /////////////////
                  Public Sub foo()
                  '// Do something cool
                  End Sub
                  /////////////////
                  >
                  Anyways, I'm not sure I answered your exact question, but its really
                  just a judgment call on your end. The worst thing that can happen is
                  that your post will be ignored because it will be too much work to
                  read through a huge code sample. That's probably the most important
                  thing to realize, the longer and more complex your post, the lesser
                  chance it will be answered.
                  >
                  Thanks,
                  >
                  Seth Rowe [MVP]
                  Jon Skeet's article would probably describe what you should do better
                  than I could do it:

                  http://www.yoda.arachsys.com/csharp/complete.html


                  Also be sure to post your question to the ASP.NET newsgroup - you are
                  much more likely to receive an answer there than in this group if you
                  are asking about an ASP.NET control.

                  Thanks,

                  Seth Rowe [MVP]

                    Comment

                    • Cor Ligthert [MVP]
                      #6
                      Re: Rules for Posting code

                      Seth-

                      snip
                      Also be sure to post your question to the ASP.NET newsgroup - you are
                      much more likely to receive an answer there than in this group if you
                      are asking about an ASP.NET control.
                      >
                      snip

                      You are right in this, however there is no ASP.NET newsgroup. (As you don't
                      mean the Spanish or French one).

                      There are FrameWork.AspNe t newsgroups in more languages including English,
                      the right places to ask about ASP.Net controls.

                      However, I am curious why you wrote this message as I could not find the
                      about ASP.Net controls in the messages from Andy.

                      By the way, I thougth that the by Herfried's used convention was

                      \\\
                      Code as I do it mostly as well,
                      ///

                      I don't know why, but as Herfried asks this I do it, I thougth that it has
                      to do with his little hamser.

                      -Cor


                        Comment

                        • rowe_newsgroups
                          #7
                          Re: Rules for Posting code

                          You are right in this, however there is no ASP.NET newsgroup. (As you don't
                          mean the Spanish or French one).
                          >
                          There are FrameWork.AspNe t newsgroups in more languages including English,
                          the right places to ask about ASP.Net controls.
                          This is the newsgroup I was talking about
                          (microsoft.publ ic.dotnet.frame work.aspnet):

                          http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.dotnet.framework.aspnet/topics?lnk=li&safe=on

                          However, I am curious why you wrote this message as I could not find the
                          about ASP.Net controls in the messages from Andy.
                          Second sentence:

                          http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.dotnet.languages.vb/msg/8513d2813d77e643


                          "I asked because I am having a problem with an asp.net wizard control"
                          By the way, I thougth that the by Herfried's used convention was
                          Yeah it is, I put that mine was inspired by his, I prefer the repeated
                          forward slashes over his style.
                          I don't know why, but as Herfried asks this I do it, I thougth that it has
                          to do with his little hamser.
                          What's a hamser?

                          Thanks,

                          Seth Rowe [MVP]

                            Comment

                            • Cor Ligthert[MVP]
                              #8
                              Re: Rules for Posting code

                              Seth,

                              snip
                              >I don't know why, but as Herfried asks this I do it, I thougth that it
                              >has
                              >to do with his little hamser.
                              >
                              What's a hamser?
                              >
                              It was a typo, it should have been hamster, I thought it has in English,
                              German and Dutch the same name, but is too the name of an newsreader that
                              Herfried uses/used.

                              :-)

                              Cor

                                Comment

                                • rowe_newsgroups
                                  #9
                                  Re: Rules for Posting code

                                  It was a typo, it should have been hamster, I thought it has in English,
                                  German and Dutch the same name, but is too the name of an newsreader that
                                  Herfried uses/used.
                                  That makes soooo much more sense now!

                                  :-)

                                  Thanks,

                                  Seth Rowe [MVP]

                                    Comment

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