Should comments say WHY the program is doing what it is doing? (opinion on a dictum by the inventor of Forth)
- by AKE
The often provocative Chuck Moore (inventor of the Forth language) gave the following advice (paraphrasing):
"Use comments sparingly. Programs are self-documenting, with a
modicum of help from mnemonics. Comments should say WHAT the program
is doing, not HOW."
My question:
Should comments say WHY the program is doing what it is doing?
Update: In addition to the answers below, these two provide additional insight.
Beginner's guide to writing comments?
http://programmers.stackexchange.com/a/98609/62203