Code Comment

a Code Comment is a source code item that is source code documentation (human-readable annotations in the source code).

• Context:
  • It can (typically) explain the code's functionality, making the source code easier for other programmers to understand.
  • It can (often) be ignored by the compiler or interpreter, meaning it does not affect the execution of the program.
  • It can range from a brief annotation to detailed documentation of complex code logic.
  • It can include metadata such as the author of the code, the date of writing, and the purpose of specific functions or modules.
  • It can be used for inline documentation within codebases.
  • It can be part of a formal Documentation Comment system, used by documentation generators to produce external documentation.
  • It can vary in syntax across different Programming Languages, often signaled by specific symbols or keywords (e.g., //, /* */, #).
  • It can serve as a tool for Code Readability and Software Maintenance, aiding in the understanding and modification of existing code.
  • It can sometimes be used to temporarily disable code, known as "commenting out", for testing or debugging purposes.
  • It can be considered a best practice in Software Development to include meaningful comments where necessary.
  • ...
• Example(s):
  • An Inline Comment in Python: # This is a comment explaining a variable
  • A Block Comment in Java: /* This is a block comment used to describe a more complex piece of logic. It can span multiple lines. */
  • A Documentation Comment in Java that can be used by Javadoc: /** This is a documentation comment used to describe the functionality of a method, its parameters, and its return value. */
  • ...
• Counter-Example(s):
  • A Docstring in Python, which is a string that occurs as the first statement in a module, function, class, or method definition and can be accessed programmatically.
  • Machine code comments or annotations, which do not exist because machine code is a set of instructions executed directly by a computer's CPU.
• See: Source Code Item, Compiler, Interpreter, Documentation Comment, Software Development, Code Readability, Software Maintenance.

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