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Diffstat (limited to 'cpp/000organization.cc')
-rw-r--r-- | cpp/000organization.cc | 121 |
1 files changed, 121 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/cpp/000organization.cc b/cpp/000organization.cc new file mode 100644 index 00000000..964180d4 --- /dev/null +++ b/cpp/000organization.cc @@ -0,0 +1,121 @@ +//: You guessed right: the '000' prefix means you should start reading here. +//: +//: This project is setup to load all files with a numeric prefix. Just create +//: a new file and start hacking. +//: +//: The first few files (00*) are independent of what this program does, an +//: experimental skeleton that will hopefully make it both easier for others to +//: understand and more malleable, easier to rewrite and remould into radically +//: different shapes without breaking in subtle corner cases. The premise is +//: that understandability and rewrite-friendliness are related in a virtuous +//: cycle. Doing one well makes it easier to do the other. +//: +//: Lower down, this file contains a legal, bare-bones C++ program. It doesn't +//: do anything yet; subsequent files will contain :(...) directives to insert +//: lines into it. For example: +//: :(after "more events") +//: This directive means: insert the following lines after a line in the +//: program containing the words "more events". +//: +//: A simple tool is included to 'tangle' all the files together in sequence +//: according to their directives into a single source file containing all the +//: code for the project, and then feed the source file to the compiler. +//: (It'll drop these comments starting with a '//:' prefix that only make +//: sense before tangling.) +//: +//: Directives free up the programmer to order code for others to read rather +//: than as forced by the computer or compiler. Each individual feature can be +//: organized in a self-contained 'layer' that adds code to many different data +//: structures and functions all over the program. The right decomposition into +//: layers will let each layer make sense in isolation. +//: +//: "If I look at any small part of it, I can see what is going on -- I don't +//: need to refer to other parts to understand what something is doing. +//: +//: If I look at any large part in overview, I can see what is going on -- I +//: don't need to know all the details to get it. +//: +//: Every level of detail is as locally coherent and as well thought-out as +//: any other level." +//: +//: -- Richard Gabriel, "The Quality Without A Name" +//: (http://dreamsongs.com/Files/PatternsOfSoftware.pdf, page 42) +//: +//: Directives are powerful; they permit inserting or modifying any point in +//: the program. Using them tastefully requires mapping out specific lines as +//: waypoints for future layers to hook into. Often such waypoints will be in +//: comments, capitalized to hint that other layers rely on their presence. +//: +//: A single waypoint might have many different code fragments hooking into +//: it from all over the codebase. Use 'before' directives to insert +//: code at a location in order, top to bottom, and 'after' directives to +//: insert code in reverse order. By convention waypoints intended for insertion +//: before begin with 'End'. Notice below how the layers line up above the "End +//: Foo" waypoint. +//: +//: File 001 File 002 File 003 +//: ============ =================== =================== +//: // Foo +//: ------------ +//: <---- :(before "End Foo") +//: .... +//: ... +//: ------------ +//: <---------------------------- :(before "End Foo") +//: .... +//: ... +//: // End Foo +//: ============ +//: +//: Here's part of a layer in color: http://i.imgur.com/0eONnyX.png. Directives +//: are shaded dark. +//: +//: Layers do more than just shuffle code around. Their guarantee is that it +//: should be possible to stop loading after any file/layer, build and run the +//: program, and pass all tests for loaded features. (Relevant is +//: http://youtube.com/watch?v=c8N72t7aScY, a scene from "2001: A Space +//: Odyssey".) Use the included script called 'test_all_layers' to check the +//: guarantee if you make any changes. +//: +//: This 'subsetting guarantee' ensures that this directory contains a +//: cleaned-up narrative of the evolution of this codebase. Organizing +//: autobiographically allows a newcomer to rapidly orient himself, reading the +//: first few files to understand a simple gestalt of a program's core purpose +//: and features, and later gradually working his way through other features as +//: the need arises. +//: +//: Programmers shouldn't need to understand everything about a program to hack +//: on it. But they shouldn't be prevented from a thorough understanding of +//: each aspect either. The goal of layers is to reward curiosity. + +// Includes +// End Includes + +// Types +// End Types + +// prototypes are auto-generated; define your functions in any order +#include "function_list" // by convention, files ending with '_list' are auto-generated + +// Globals +// End Globals + +int main(int argc, char* argv[]) { + + // End One-time Setup + + // End Commandline Parsing + + return 0; // End Main +} + +void setup() { + // End Setup +} + +void teardown() { + // End Teardown +} + +//: Without directives or with the :(code) directive, lines get added at the +//: end. |