Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id ; Fri, 30 Nov 2001 15:29:02 -0500 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id ; Fri, 30 Nov 2001 15:28:52 -0500 Received: from cx570538-a.elcjn1.sdca.home.com ([24.5.14.144]:45700 "EHLO keroon.dmz.dreampark.com") by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id ; Fri, 30 Nov 2001 15:28:37 -0500 Message-ID: <3C07EBB9.CF5EB85E@randomlogic.com> Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2001 12:27:37 -0800 From: "Paul G. Allen" Organization: Akamai Technologies, Inc. X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.77 [en] (X11; U; Linux 2.4.14 i686) X-Accept-Language: en MIME-Version: 1.0 To: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Subject: Re: Coding style - a non-issue In-Reply-To:

<20011128162317.B23210@work.bitmover.com> <9u7lb0$8t9$1@forge.intermeta.de> <20011130072634.E14710@work.bitmover.com> <1007138360.6656.27.camel@forge> <3C07B820.4108246F@mandrakesoft.com> <20011130185359.Q31176@blu> <3C07CDFB.7F1A9FFC@randomlogic.com> <3C07D742.A62FF72E@mandrakesoft.com> <20011130144112.A31385@tux.gsfc.nasa.gov> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org John Kodis wrote: > > On Fri, Nov 30, 2001 at 02:00:18PM -0500, Jeff Garzik wrote: > > > Human beings know and understand context, and can use it > > effectively. 'idx' or 'i' or 'bh' may make perfect sense in > > context. There is absolutely no need for > > JournalBHThatIsStoredAndSyncedWithSuperblock. JounalBH would be far better than i or idx. > > Mathematics has a rich tradition of using short variable names such as > "pi" rather than something like "circle-circumference-to-diameter-ratio". > They keep formulas from becoming unreadably long, and have a meaning > which is well understood in context. While the long version may more > self-explainatory, it's the short form which is universally preferred. > While 'pi', 'e', 'theta', 'phi', etc. are universally understood, things like 'i', 'a', and 'idx' are not. I can use these for anything I want and even for more than one thing, and they say nothing about what they are for. 'i', 'j', etc. are fine as loop counters and array indexes where their meaning is apparent by context, but are _not_ fine in other situations. You (or the person that wrote the code) may think that the name is perfectly fine, but someone else that thinks a bit different may not. PGA -- Paul G. Allen UNIX Admin II ('til Dec. 3)/FlUnKy At LaRgE (forever!) Akamai Technologies, Inc. www.akamai.com - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/