RE: [sqr-users] SQR Standards

["Knapp, Richard" <KnappR@umsystem.edu>]

Second that!

Naming things well can take as much energy as solving the technical
problem(s) but is well worth the effort.  Many creation myths involve a
description of how things got named.  It's primal, de rigueur for all
programmers and other creators who take their work seriously. 

Richard Knapp
Database Programmer/Analyst
Institutional Research and Planning
University of Missouri System
573-882-8856
knappr@umsystem.edu
-----Original Message-----
From: sqr-users-bounces+knappr=umsystem.edu@sqrug.org
[mailto:sqr-users-bounces+knappr=umsystem.edu@sqrug.org] On Behalf Of
Bob Stone
Sent: Monday, November 21, 2005 12:10 PM
To: This list is for discussion about the SQR database reporting
languagefrom Hyperion Solutions.
Subject: RE: [sqr-users] SQR Standards

I agree with everything Steve mentioned.  

One thing about naming variables - if there are 2 or 3 variables that
are similar, you can keep their similar names as long as it's easily
distinguishable.  An example I have now is 'batch num'. I have a program
with the idea of a 'batch' of 100 and a 'batch' of 1000, made up of 10
'batches' of 100.  To make things more confusing, there's a column in a
table we already have called 'FAS_BATCH_NUMBER' that isn't either of
those.  To distinguish the three, i usually prepend something : 
#hund_batch
#thous_batch
#table_batch



The only thing I would add is that I find it visually useful to have
comments at the beginning of each procedure explaining what it does, and
that for each procedure in that SQR the comments are formatted the same.
This allows someone to scroll down the program, and notice a) where one
procedure ends and another starts, b) what a procedure does without
digging into the logic for it.  It allows a 2nd programmer to come in
and see what a program does (underlying logic) without getting lost in
the nitty-gritty of the code, or missing a procedure somewhere in the
middle.



!-----------------------------------------------------------------------
!
! Procedure:    Set-Route-to-PS-Vars
!
! Desc:         Procedure to set up variables needed in for the insert
!
!               to the DEP/DEP3 tables.
!
!-----------------------------------------------------------------------
!
begin-procedure Set-Route-to-PS-Vars

...

end-procedure Set-Route-to-PS-Vars

!-----------------------------------------------------------------------
!
! Procedure:    Close-Last-Dep
!
! Desc:         Close previous (or last) deposit. Insert deposit to
!
!               PS_FAS_AR_DEP_SUM.  Reset deposit variables.
!
!-----------------------------------------------------------------------
!
begin-procedure Close-Last-Dep

...

end-procedure Close-Last-Dep


-----Original Message-----
From: sqr-users-bounces+bstone=fastenal.com@sqrug.org
[mailto:sqr-users-bounces+bstone=fastenal.com@sqrug.org]On Behalf Of
Alexander, Steve
Sent: Monday, November 21, 2005 11:50 AM
To: 'This list is for discussion about the SQR database
reportinglanguage from Hyperion Solutions.'
Subject: RE: [sqr-users] SQR Standards


Consider a book called "Code Complete" by Steve McConnell.  It is not
language specific but it covers programming style exhaustively (960
pages).
It will give you lots of ideas.

I've seen only a few programming standards for SQR, and they seem to be
written by some uptight person who has never programmed.  Please avoid
micromanaging the keyboard with rules like "the first letter of a
variable
name should be capitalized and the rest of the variable name should be
lower
case."  However it might be useful for everyone to agree that "words in
variable names should be separated only by dashes (or only by
underscores,
or only by periods, or always by nothing)"

I believe a programming standard should (1) encourage good programming,
(2)
discourage bugs, and (3) help the programmer who is trying to solve a
production problem at 2 AM.

For example, it is of supreme importance to consistently indent and
"outdent" programs to help someone follow the control structure.  In a
big
shop, many programmers might touch the same file.  Therefore, there
might be
rules about indenting.  But don't set the indents at 8 spaces - even
moderate nesting could run a statement off the screen.  (And while
you're at
it, how about a rule setting the maximum level of nesting?)

How many bugs come from variable names that are too simple (loop counter
#i)
or too easy to misspell ($o0p5_my_faux_pax) or too similar (#num_accts,
#num_acct, #account_no, and $account_nbr)?  How many bugs are due to
using
the same variable for different formats (let $date = '2005-01-01' ....
let
$date = '01-JAN-2005' ... if $date <= '2006-01-01') or (add #amt to #sum
...
divide #count into #sum)?

I like to encourage (not require) the use of variables or preprocessor
defined constants rather than literals.  It is easier to understand and
maintain:

if #found = 1         ! this could mean number of items found
or
if #found = {true}

while #item_number < 10
or
while #item_number < {num_items}

if $effdt > '01-JAN-1995'
or
if $effdt > {conversion_dt}


I could go on and on, but I ought to do some work for my employer now.


-----Original Message-----
From: tam kag [mailto:kaghdot@hotmail.com] 
Sent: Monday, November 21, 2005 9:09 AM
To: sqr-users@sqrug.org
Subject: [sqr-users] SQR Standards

Hello,

I'm in the process of developing standards for SQR in my company, the 
standards should cover the diffrent elements of SQR, for instance it
would 
cover coding, layout, file name, etc ...

Can any one point me to a resource to get some info on SQR standards.

any help is most apprecited.

Thanks

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