Backend nearly entirely converted to D

[H. S. Teoh]

On Thu, Nov 08, 2018 at 06:13:55PM +0100, Jacob Carlborg via Digitalmars-d-announce wrote:
[...]
> I guess we have very different ideas on what "small scope" is. For me
> it means around 10 lines. Here's an example in the DMD code base, the
> method for doing the semantic analyze on a call expression [1]. It's
> 902 lines long and has a parameter called "exp". Another example, the
> semantic analyze for an is expression [2], 310 lines long. It has a
> parameter called "e".
> 
> Someone familiar with the code base might know that the convention is
> that a variable of a type inheriting from the Expression class is
> usually called "e". Someone new to the code base will most likely not.
> I cannot see how starting to call the variable "expression" or
> "callExpression" would be disrupt. Currently when someone familiar
> with the code base reads the code and sees a variable named "e" the
> developer will think "hey, I know by convention that is usual an
> expression". If the variable was renamed to "expression" then both the
> one familiar and unfamiliar with the code base can immediately read
> that this variable holds an expression.
[...]

A function parameter named 'expression' is far too long. I wouldn't go
as far as calling it 'e', but maybe 'expr' is about as long as I would
go.  You're dealing with the code of a compiler, 'expr' should be
blatantly obvious already that it means "expression".  Spelling it out
completely just clutters the code and makes it harder to read.


T

-- 
Three out of two people have difficulties with fractions. -- Dirk Eddelbuettel