On Mon, 30 Jun 1997, John Herbert <herbertj@bre.co.uk> wrote (amidst a lot more):

>--Mind you, balancing 'recognition' would also help spot the "close the comment >with /*" error (typo city!). >Personally, I'd like to see syntax checking and comment balancing in the >editor (or in a plug-in editor - whatever works best).

John (and Karsten), this discussion about automatic balancing of comments - or, at least, reognition of unbalanced comments - is all very well, but there is clearly a limit to what any automated system can do in the absence of a crystal ball or humanoid intelligence - since the programmer's true intentions may not be clear/unambiguous - regardless of which type of comments one uses. For example, what human, let alone machine, could be certain as to the programmer's intention in the following situation:

x1 = y + 5 ; * if client=Fred, then consider alternative x2 = y + 5 ; x3 = z - 6 ; [ is the absence of a semicolon after 'alternative' intentional or not? ]

x1 = y + 5 ; /* if client=Fred, then consider alternative x2 = y + 5 ; x3 = z - 6 ; /* accumulate using totalling statement */ total = total + increm ; */ t = t + i ;

[ what was the programmer's intention here - there seem to be many possibilities ]

Regards John

John

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