Timeline for Is it always ok to suggest best formatting practices on code that doesn't follow popular conventions?
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
18 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| Apr 13, 2017 at 12:41 | history | edited | CommunityBot | replaced http://codereview.stackexchange.com/ with https://codereview.stackexchange.com/ | |
| Mar 16, 2017 at 15:46 | history | edited | CommunityBot | replaced http://meta.codereview.stackexchange.com/ with https://codereview.meta.stackexchange.com/ | |
| Mar 16, 2017 at 15:46 | history | edited | CommunityBot | replaced http://meta.codereview.stackexchange.com/ with https://codereview.meta.stackexchange.com/ | |
| Mar 16, 2017 at 15:46 | history | edited | CommunityBot | replaced http://meta.codereview.stackexchange.com/ with https://codereview.meta.stackexchange.com/ | |
| Jul 28, 2014 at 16:00 | comment | added | Dagg | +1 because in principle this is probably usually right. Considering the actual post in question, though, I think style was an appropriate thing to go after, since it was egregiously bad by any standard. Also, hidden in that "style" section was a paragraph addressing improper variable declarations, and that definitely needed addressing. It was not a style issue. | |
| Jul 27, 2014 at 19:22 | comment | added | user73428 | @200_success You missing the entire topic of this question. It's not an argument. It's a question of content, and the popular consensus seems to be that it's ok to submit a review based on formatting conventions for the language in question. My answer's various weaknesses or mistakes are not part of this discussion; if you'd like to bring those issues up, please open a new meta discussion on the subject. | |
| Jul 27, 2014 at 17:36 | comment | added | 200_success Mod | @jt0dd You're missing my point, which is that the confluence of factors 1, 2, and 3 makes your answer an misleading assessment of the code. If you had omitted "HTML and CSS are flawless" and instead prefaced your remarks with "I'm focusing on your code formatting", then at least it would have been an honest answer. If you didn't actually make an effort to find problems in the HTML+CSS, declaring that it's flawless is irresponsible. | |
| Jul 27, 2014 at 17:15 | comment | added | user73428 | @200_success That was not rolfl's point at all - You 100% missed his point - His point was that if there were to be disagreement about the post, it should be about that, and not about the formatting side of the review. | |
| Jul 27, 2014 at 17:13 | comment | added | user73428 | @cimmanon this opinion seems to be a slight minority. | |
| Jul 27, 2014 at 11:07 | comment | added | cimmanon | @jt0dd You're missing the point here. This isn't just about you and what you would or wouldn't have done, this is about criticism of any formatting (including choice of indentation!). Mr. Crockford condemns the use of tabs for indentation (with no real justification behind such a suggestion, just like everyone else who condemns the use of tabs), if you're going to say follow this standard, why not go the whole hog? | |
| Jul 27, 2014 at 6:19 | comment | added | 200_success Mod | @rolfl "HTML and CSS are flawless" are extraordinary claims, which should require extraordinary proof. I don't consider the first two paragraphs real reviews for that reason. | |
| Jul 27, 2014 at 2:30 | comment | added | rolfl Mod | I happen to disagree on a couple of points with @200_success ... but that is the nature of things, sometimes. Specifically, the first two paragraphs are real reviews (the HTML and CSS are flawless), whether they are accurate, or not. That should be a subject of upvotes or down votes, not related to the review of the style. | |
| Jul 27, 2014 at 2:27 | comment | added | 200_success Mod | There are situations where mentioning code formatting issues could be beneficial, but I feel that that answer was poor. My disapproval stems from a confluence of several considerations: 1) the formatting issues were all minor; 2) there was nothing else in the answer; 3) you stated that the HTML was fine. It's a matter of misplaced priorities and providing false confidence. | |
| Jul 27, 2014 at 2:12 | comment | added | user73428 | Nor would I suggest such a thing. I simply suggested very popular best formatting practices to a user wishing to improve his JavaScript programming. @cimmanon | |
| Jul 27, 2014 at 1:00 | comment | added | cimmanon | As I said in my comment, inconsistencies in style are worth pointing out (part of that attention to detail you mention). If the code in question consistently uses tabs for indentation throughout the entire project, suggesting switching to spaces is absolutely unproductive. | |
| Jul 27, 2014 at 0:38 | comment | added | user73428 | Many programmer already have a misconception that code review is about unproductive arguments on tabs-vs.-spaces, indentation width, brace styles, etc. - Unproductive? If a programmer (like myself) moves forward to submit code for a job without paying attention to each and every one of those issues, he'll be laughed at. Attention to detail is a vital aspect of programming, and I would personally avoid working with a programmer that thought conventional formatting practices were unproductive. | |
| Jul 27, 2014 at 0:35 | comment | added | user73428 | People don't come here just to be warned that their code is atrocious and unreadable. They come to improve it beyond the beginner level, to learn to write better than average code. Formatting is one of the key aspects of that goal. | |
| Jul 27, 2014 at 0:11 | history | answered | 200_successMod | CC BY-SA 3.0 |