[MUD-Dev] Let's talk about numbers.

["Jon A. Lambert" <jlsysinc#ix,netcom.com>]

On 24 Sep 98, Adam Wiggins wrote:
> On Thu, 24 Sep 1998, Jon A. Lambert wrote:
> > > On Tue, Sep 22, 1998 at 10:13:04PM -0500, Vadim Tkachenko wrote:
> > > > Again, why limit yourself with numbers like 50? Why not 500? Why not
> > > > just X?
> > [snip]
> > It begs the question, "Is the fixed dimensional array evil?"
> 
> No.  But designing/implementing something without the slightest
> thought for how you (or someone else) would be able to extend it
> someday is, IMO, one of the greatest failings of modern programing,
> and programmers themselves.

I fully agree with you.  Even about the arrays being not evil.  But 
let's keep that to ourselves. ;)

> Programming 101: don't put magic numbers into the code.

Aye. 

> make them easily locatable constants somewhere at the top with a
> clearly identifiable name. 

Even better, make them external to the program.

>  But a good implementation won't care if it's 10 or 50 or 5000.

Yes.  Flexibility is also lower maintenance.  This is good.
Also a routine that make no assumptions about a piece of data will
be less error prone than one that does.

--
--/*\ Jon A. Lambert - TychoMUD     Internet:jlsysinc#ix,netcom.com /*\--
--/*\ Mud Server Developer's Page <http://www.netcom.com/~jlsysinc> /*\--
--/*\   "Everything that deceives may be said to enchant" - Plato   /*\--