C++ equivalent to spaghetti code

[Campy Happer]

Hello all,

I would like to bring to your attention a concept
and a term for it that I think is long overdue.

But first: In the bad old days of programming,
before subroutines were even available,
people used to write "spaghetti code", which
was an unreadable, unmaintainable mess of
"goto" statements.

With the increased availability of more
languages such as Pascal and C, and the
focus in programming courses on the importance
of modularity and abstract data types,
one might have thought that the days of
commonplace incomprehensibl e code were over,
or at least that the worst case scenario
in average code was improved.

In the case of C++, this is not so.
C++, with its multiple inheritance,
templates, and vastly bloated class libraries
such as STL and Boost, which permit and
seem even to require illegible coding practices
in which 5-deep derived classes are not
unlikely, has led to the C++ equivalent
of spaghetti code.

But how to describe it? Commonly people
simply call it "bad coding practices" but this
is too general. It's like calling a traffic accident
"bad driving practices". What then is the
term for an "accident" in C++? To describe this
build-up of tangled incomprehensibl e bloat,
I shall propose a new term:
C++ plaque.

It is similar to the plaque build-up in
Alzheimer's insofar as it impairs memory,
makes the programmer confused about
what is located where and what day it is.
In addition, when C++ plaque accumulates,
it decreases the programmer's ability
to function in his/her daily work life, ergo
anything (s)he produces will be much more
likely to crash, e.g. KDE.

Fight code pollution by not polluting.

C++ plaque: The cure is within you.

Thank you for your attention.

[Keith Thompson]

Campy Happer <ca*********@ya hoo.comwrites:

Hello all,

I would like to bring to your attention a concept
and a term for it that I think is long overdue.

[snip]

I would like to bring to your attention the fact that C and C++ are
two different languages. This may be appropriate in comp.lang.c++;
it's not appropriate in comp.lang.c or gnu.misc.discus s. Please
restrict any followups to comp.lang.c++. (I doubt that this will do
any good, but it's worth a try.)

--
Keith Thompson (The_Other_Keit h) ks***@mib.org <http://www.ghoti.net/~kst>
Nokia
"We must do something. This is something. Therefore, we must do this."
-- Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn, "Yes Minister"

[Juha Nieminen]

Campy Happer wrote:

In the case of C++, this is not so.
C++, with its multiple inheritance,
templates, and vastly bloated class libraries
such as STL and Boost, which permit and
seem even to require illegible coding practices
in which 5-deep derived classes are not
unlikely, has led to the C++ equivalent
of spaghetti code.

Go troll somewhere else, Linus Torvalds.

[Lionel B]

On Tue, 15 Jul 2008 08:03:29 -0700, Campy Happer wrote:

<some nonsense>

Can we phuleeeze not feed the troll.

<plonk>

--
Lionel B

[Roberto Waltman]

Campy Happer <ca*********@ya hoo.comwrote:
.... In the bad old days of programming,

>before subroutines were even available,
people used to write "spaghetti code", which
was an unreadable, unmaintainable mess of
"goto" statements.
...
C++, with its multiple inheritance,
templates, and vastly bloated class libraries
such as STL and Boost, which permit and
seem even to require illegible coding practices
in which 5-deep derived classes are not
unlikely, has led to the C++ equivalent
of spaghetti code.

But how to describe it?

In the one and only true way. The object-oriented version of
"Spaghetti code" is, of course, "Lasagna code". (Too many layers.)

I have used that expression for years, but so far failed to obtain ISO
certification for it, or have it included in Webster's dictionary...

It goes without saying that any good chef can cook both Spaghetti and
Lasagna codes in either C or C++. (If using the later I would
recommend inheriting from the Pasta abstract base class.)
--
Roberto Waltman

[ Please reply to the group,
return address is invalid ]

[Gernot Frisch]

Can we phuleeeze not feed the troll.

Imagine a troll post and no responses for a week. I think he's gonna
explode.

[s0suk3]

On Jul 15, 10:24 am, Juha Nieminen <nos...@thanks. invalidwrote:

Campy Happer wrote:

In the case of C++, this is not so.
C++, with its multiple inheritance,
templates, and vastly bloated class libraries
such as STL and Boost, which permit and
seem even to require illegible coding practices
in which 5-deep derived classes are not
unlikely, has led to the C++ equivalent
of spaghetti code.

Go troll somewhere else, Linus Torvalds.

Does Linus Torvalds not like C++?

[fnegroni]

On Jul 17, 7:22*am, [e-mail] m wrote:

On Jul 15, 10:24 am, Juha Nieminen <nos...@thanks. invalidwrote:

Campy Happer wrote:

In the case of C++, this is not so.
C++, with its multiple inheritance,
templates, and vastly bloated class libraries
such as STL and Boost, which permit and
seem even to require illegible coding practices
in which 5-deep derived classes are not
unlikely, has led to the C++ equivalent
of spaghetti code.

* Go troll somewhere else, Linus Torvalds.

Does Linus Torvalds not like C++?

No, he does not :-)

[John Bode]

On Jul 15, 11:16 am, gaze...@xmissio n.xmission.com (Kenny McCormack)
wrote:

In article <3ce476c4-3248-4a00-aaf1-a670c07b3...@l4 2g2000hsc.googl egroups.com>,
Campy Happer <campyhap...@ya hoo.comwrote:
...

I shall propose a new term:

C++ plaque.

[snip]

1) I always associated plaque with dental problems, not
Alzheimer's. Is the Alzheimer's reference about the same as
the dental one?

Sort of. It refers to the buildup of amyloid plaques (sheets of
protein, IIUC) in the brain tissue of Alzheimer's sufferers. I think
this is closer to the meaning the OP is going for.

[Malcolm McLean]

"John Bode" <jf********@gma il.comwrote in message

>
Sort of. It refers to the buildup of amyloid plaques (sheets of
protein, IIUC) in the brain tissue of Alzheimer's sufferers. I think
this is closer to the meaning the OP is going for.

If you are interested in computer models of amyloid, see my website. It's
the major focus of my work.

--
Free games and programming goodies.
http://www.personal.leeds.ac.uk/~bgy1mm