This summer me and a few friends are working on a project that involves making a parallel implementation of evolutionary tree construction algorithms, using MPI. Our first step during the process was to take an implementation of some of these algorithms, freely distributed of course, and make them run in parallel. The code we began to work off of was terrible, it was devoid of comments and was very difficult to follow.

(There is a point ahead I promise...)

During one of our meetings we were discussing DNA sequencing, and the topic came up that much of DNA code is supposedly unused. "Comments." one of my friends suggested. So anyway the point I'm getting to is if "God" can take the time out to "write" useless pieces of code in the DNA sequence, that serve no known purpose, why can't programmers take the time to write comments in their code? If not for themselves in the future, at least for those who will be using the code after them. On a side note we did manage to get our parallel implementation running, but it was a pain w/o having some knowledge as to what the original programmers were doing.
From time.c, line 23222:

/* This is a kludge. Let's just hope those bastards never actually reach* the speed of light. */

obj.time += 1/(1+obj.v**2 / c**2);

From math.c, line 132307:

int largest_prime_number () {
 /* Simple, but elegant. This one should be obvious. */
 ...
};

From physics.c, line 1299:

/* Hopefully, nobody'll catch on to this bit. If they do, I'll
 * have to recompile the whole blasted thing from scratch.
 * Maybe giant talking ants this time. */

if (photoncount == 1 && option == O_SLITCHOICE)
 interference();

From human.c, line 90221:

/* Yeesh. Yet another example of why I shouldn't be coding
 * when I'm drunk. */

From light.c, line 38494:

/* This ought to lead to some great fun later, eh? 
 * Hope nobody makes a portable one... */

if (reflect_surface_count == INT_MAX)
  set_laser(LT);

From biology.c, line 23323:

/* I'll have a look at this in the morning. *
 * Maybe mix up thirty new amino acids...        */

dna_codes = { 'AGC', 'TGC', 'ACT' ... };

From gen_science.c, line 24:

/* There is no WAY this will compile on Linux. */

From main.c, line 84992:

/* FIXME: Add meaning */


* Yes, God can italicize his comments. He's God.

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