Function size...

[lombrozo]

Hi,

I'd like to ask all of you experienced, well-structured,
Object-Oriented programmers out there about function size.

I am using Visual C++ to create an application, everything is nicely
structured, plenty of classes and inheritence yadda yadda. That part
of my code I am happy with. However, I have this one worker thread
(single function) that I am worried about. It's 1400 lines long.
Now, I remember while at Uni being told that functions should be about
one page size maximum (say 60 to 70 lines), but I don't think this is
applicable for my thread function.

So, I am worried that this function is too long. But surely,
different functions must be different sizes because of the context
they are used, and the purpose they are fulfilling? My function is
quite simple, it sits in a while loop picking of elements from a
global array. It then checks the element for various conditions and
writes any error information to a log file. The elements of this
array are quite big, and contain quite a bit of data, so it takes
quite a lot of code to process the element.

Can anyone give me any advice? Is the function too big? I could
split it into many smaller functions, but what's the point? It would
still follow a procedural execution, only now we have the overhead of
function calls.

Any help would be much appreciated!

Thanks,

Simon.

[Alf P. Steinbach]

On 24 Jul 2003 11:55:51 -0700, s_******@yahoo.com (lombrozo) wrote:

It's 1400 lines long. Is the function too big?

Yes.

[John Harrison]

"lombrozo" <s_******@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:f1*************************@posting.google.co m...

Hi,

I'd like to ask all of you experienced, well-structured,
Object-Oriented programmers out there about function size.

I am using Visual C++ to create an application, everything is nicely
structured, plenty of classes and inheritence yadda yadda. That part
of my code I am happy with. However, I have this one worker thread
(single function) that I am worried about. It's 1400 lines long.
Now, I remember while at Uni being told that functions should be about
one page size maximum (say 60 to 70 lines), but I don't think this is
applicable for my thread function.

So, I am worried that this function is too long. But surely,
different functions must be different sizes because of the context
they are used, and the purpose they are fulfilling? My function is
quite simple, it sits in a while loop picking of elements from a
global array. It then checks the element for various conditions and
writes any error information to a log file. The elements of this
array are quite big, and contain quite a bit of data, so it takes
quite a lot of code to process the element.

Can anyone give me any advice? Is the function too big?
Way, way, way too big.

I could
split it into many smaller functions, but what's the point?
Your code might become more understandable, easier to maintain, easier to
reuse, easier to port, better organised, less buggy, easier for a compiler
to optimise. etc. etc.
It would
still follow a procedural execution, only now we have the overhead of
function calls.
Is that really an issue, I mean have you timed it both ways and found a
problem? The overhead of a function call can be measured in nano-seconds (or
something).

Any help would be much appreciated!

Thanks,

Simon.

john