in reply to Documenting code

I'm surprised colors are so popular actually, they always tend to make my eyes hurt, with the exception of commented out sections. In fact, I have to disagree with just about everything said so far :) As a beginning programmer, I think it would have helped me to grok what the different pieces of syntax meant, especially in such a verbose language as Java, my first. Come to think of it, my lab partner used colors in Emacs and did better in the class than I, but then he was also a logician :^P

Nowadays I find that the most important factor in tackling a problem is to get as much of the contextual code on the screen as possible. To that end, on my screen you'll see plain black on white spread across at least two Emacs windows in the smallest possible font that my eyes can bear.

"The dead do not recognize context" -- Kai, Lexx

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Re: Re: Documenting code
by ajt (Prior) on Mar 14, 2003 at 13:20 UTC

    I tend to agree with fever. I'm dyslexic and I find coloured text much harder to read than simple well spaced text. Plus coloured text is expensive to print in colour and when printed in B&W it looses contrast when compared with plain B&W text.

    I've tried lots of syntax highlighting tools for code, HTML and XML, and I often find I think it's cool and better than plain unadorned text, until I use it, then I prefer light text (one of only a few colours) on a dark background.

    The various societies for dyslexia, blind/partial sighted and reading/learning problems, all have guidelines (often conflicting I might add), but they tend to suggest simple high contrast colours well spaced.

    While I accept that you can do what you want on your own when you work on code, when you present it, indeed when you present anything, it's all about clear simple presentation. The same rules that make an article or presentation good apply to anything, code or not.

    For example:


    --
    ajt
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Re: Re: Documenting code
by Nkuvu (Priest) on Mar 14, 2003 at 03:45 UTC
    I'm not sure I understand, fever. You disagree with just about everything said so far, but it would have helped with syntax? Aren't you contradicting yourself there? Maybe it's just that it's starting to get late... :)
[reply]

      It would have helped me as a beginner, whereas others feel that it's only useful to those with more programming experience. At this point for me colored syntax is just line noise, but the only measure that matters in a discussion like this is what it takes for someone to be productive.

      "The dead do not recognize context" -- Kai, Lexx
[reply]

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