Chapter 13 Comments Should Describe Things that Aren’t Obvious from the Code

The reason for writing comments is that statements in a programming language can’t capture all of the important information that was in the mind of the developer when the code was written. Comments record this information so that developers who come along later can easily understand and modify the code. The guiding principle for comments is that comments should describe things that aren’t obvious from the code.

编写注释的原因是，使用编程语言编写的语句无法捕获编写代码时开发人员想到的所有重要信息。注释记录了这些信息，以便后来的开发人员可以轻松地理解和修改代码。注释的指导原则是，注释应描述代码中不明显的内容。

There are many things that aren’t obvious from the code. Sometimes it’s low-level details that aren’t obvious. For example, when a pair of indices describe a range, it isn’t obvious whether the elements given by the indices are inside the range or out. Sometimes it’s not clear why code is needed, or why it was implemented in a particular way. Sometimes there are rules the developer followed, such as “always invoke a before b.” You might be able to guess at a rule by looking at all of the code, but this is painful and error-prone; a comment can make the rule explicit and clear.

从代码来看，有许多事情并不明显。有时，底层细节并不明显。例如，当一对索引描述一个范围时，由索引给出的元素是在范围之内还是之外并不明显。有时不清楚为什么需要代码，或者为什么要以特定方式实现代码。有时，开发人员遵循一些规则，例如“总是在 b 之前调用 a”。您可能可以通过查看所有代码来猜测规则，但这很痛苦且容易出错。注释可以使规则清晰明了。

One of the most important reasons for comments is abstractions, which include a lot of information that isn’t obvious from the code. The idea of an abstraction is to provide a simple way of thinking about something, but code is so detailed that it can be hard to see the abstraction just from reading the code. Comments can provide a simpler, higher-level view (“after this method is invoked, network traffic will be limited to maxBandwidth bytes per second”). Even if this information can be deduced by reading the code, we don’t want to force users of a module to do that: reading the code is time-consuming and forces them to consider a lot of information that isn’t needed to use the module. Developers should be able to understand the abstraction provided by a module without reading any code other than its externally visible declarations. The only way to do this is by supplementing the declarations with comments.

注释的最重要原因之一是抽象，其中包括许多从代码中看不到的信息。抽象的思想是提供一种思考问题的简单方法，但是代码是如此详细，以至于仅通过阅读代码就很难看到抽象。注释可以提供一个更简单，更高级的预览（“调用此方法后，网络流量将被限制为每秒 maxBandwidth 字节”）。即使可以通过阅读代码推断出此信息，我们也不想强迫模块用户这样做：阅读代码很耗时，并且迫使他们考虑很多使用该模块不需要的信息。开发人员应该能够理解模块提供的抽象，而无需阅读其外部可见声明以外的任何代码。唯一的方法是用注释来补充声明。

This chapter discusses what information needs to be described in comments and how to write good comments. As you will see, good comments typically explain things at a different level of detail than the code, which is more detailed in some situations and less detailed (more abstract) in others.

本章讨论需要在注释中描述哪些信息以及如何编写良好的注释。就像您将看到的那样，好的注释通常以与代码不同的详细程度来解释事物，在某些情况下，注释会更详细，而在某些情况下，较不详细（更抽象）。

13.1 Pick conventions 选择约定

The first step in writing comments is to decide on conventions for commenting, such as what you will comment and the format you will use for comments. If you are programming in a language for which there exists a document compilation tool, such as Javadoc for Java, Doxygen for C++, or godoc for Go!, follow the conventions of the tools. None of these conventions is perfect, but the tools provide enough benefits to make up for that. If you are programming in an environment where there are no existing conventions to follow, try to adopt the conventions from some other language or project that is similar; this will make it easier for other developers to understand and adhere to your conventions.

编写注释的第一步是确定注释的约定，例如您要注释的内容和注释的格式。如果您正在使用存在文档编译工具的语言进行编程，例如 Java 的 Javadoc， C++ 的 Doxygen 或 Go！的 godoc，请遵循工具的约定。这些约定都不是完美的，但是这些工具可提供足够的好处来弥补这一缺点。如果在没有现有约定可遵循的环境中进行编程，请尝试从其他类似的语言或项目中采用这些约定；这将使其他开发人员更容易理解和遵守您的约定。

Conventions serve two purposes. First, they ensure consistency, which makes comments easier to read and understand. Second, they help to ensure that you actually write comments. If you don’t have a clear idea what you are going to comment and how, it’s easy to end up writing no comments at all.

约定有两个目的。首先，它们确保一致性，这使得注释更易于阅读和理解。其次，它们有助于确保您实际编写评论。如果您不清楚要注释的内容以及写注释的方式，那么很容易最终根本不写注释。

Most comments fall into one of the following categories:

大多数注释属于以下类别之一：

Interface: a comment block that immediately precedes the declaration of a module such as a class, data structure, function, or method. The comment describe’s the module’s interface. For a class, the comment describes the overall abstraction provided by the class. For a method or function, the comment describes its overall behavior, its arguments and return value, if any, any side effects or exceptions that it generates, and any other requirements the caller must satisfy before invoking the method.

接口：在模块声明（例如类，数据结构，函数或方法）之前的注释块。该注释描述模块的接口。对于一个类，注释描述了该类提供的整体抽象。对于方法或函数，注释描述其整体行为，其参数和返回值（如果有），其生成的任何副作用或异常，以及调用者在调用该方法之前必须满足的任何其他要求。

Data structure member: a comment next to the declaration of a field in a data structure, such as an instance variable or static variable for a class.

数据结构成员：数据结构中字段声明旁边的注释，例如类的实例变量或静态变量。

Implementation comment: a comment inside the code of a method or function, which describes how the code works internally.

实现注释：方法或函数代码内部的注释，它描述代码在内部的工作方式。

Cross-module comment: a comment describing dependencies that cross module boundaries.

跨模块注释：描述跨模块边界的依赖项的注释。

The most important comments are those in the first two categories. Every class should have an interface comment, every class variable should have a comment, and every method should have an interface comment. Occasionally, the declaration for a variable or method is so obvious that there is nothing useful to add in a comment (getters and setters sometimes fall in this category), but this is rare; it is easier to comment everything rather than spend energy worrying about whether a comment is needed. Implementation comments are often unnecessary (see Section 13.6 below). Cross-module comments are the most rare of all and they are problematic to write, but when they are needed they are quite important; Section 13.7 discusses them in more detail.

最重要的注释是前两个类别中的注释。每个类都应有一个接口注释，每个类变量应有一个注释，每个方法都应有一个接口注释。有时，变量或方法的声明是如此明显，以至于在注释中没有添加任何有用的东西（getter 和 setter 有时都属于此类），但这很少见。注释所有内容要比花精力担心是否需要注释要容易得多。具体实现的注释通常是不必要的（请参阅下面的 13.6 节）。跨模块注释是最罕见的，而且编写起来很成问题，但是当需要它们时，它们就很重要。第 13.7 节将更详细地讨论它们。

13.2 Don’t repeat the code 不要重复代码

Unfortunately, many comments are not particularly helpful. The most common reason is that the comments repeat the code: all of the information in the comment can easily be deduced from the code next to the comment. Here is a code sample that appeared in a recent research paper:

不幸的是，许多注释并不是特别有用。最常见的原因是注释重复了代码：可以轻松地从注释旁边的代码中推断出注释中的所有信息。这是最近研究论文中出现的代码示例：

ptr_copy = get_copy(obj)            # Get pointer copy
if is_unlocked(ptr_copy):           # Is obj free?
    return obj                      # return current obj
if is_copy(ptr_copy):               # Already a copy?
    return obj                      # return obj
thread_id = get_thread_id(ptr_copy)
if thread_id == ctx.thread_id:      # Locked by current ctx
    return ptr_copy                 # Return copy

There is no useful information in any of these comments except for the “Locked by” comment, which suggests something about the thread that might not be obvious from the code. Notice that these comments are at roughly the same level of detail as the code: there is one comment per line of code, which describes that line. Comments like this are rarely useful.

这些注释中没有任何有用的信息，但“ Locked by”注释除外（以上示例中的注释，除了“Locked by”之外都是无用的注释），该注释暗示了有关线程的某些信息可能在代码中并不明显。请注意，这些注释的详细程度与代码大致相同：每行代码有一个注释，用于描述该行。这样的注释很少有用（这样的注释基本没用）。

Here are more examples of comments that repeat the code:

以下是重复代码的注释的更多示例：

// Add a horizontal scroll bar
hScrollBar = new JScrollBar(JScrollBar.HORIZONTAL);
add(hScrollBar, BorderLayout.SOUTH);

// Add a vertical scroll bar
vScrollBar = new JScrollBar(JScrollBar.VERTICAL);
add(vScrollBar, BorderLayout.EAST);

// Initialize the caret-position related values
caretX     = 0;
caretY     = 0;
caretMemX  = null;

None of these comments provide any value. For the first two comments, the code is already clear enough that it doesn’t really need comments; in the third case, a comment might be useful, but the current comment doesn’t provide enough detail to be helpful.

这些注释均未提供任何价值。对于前两个注释，代码已经很清楚了，它实际上不需要注释。第三个注释可能有用，但是当前注释没有提供足够的细节来提供帮助。

After you have written a comment, ask yourself the following question: could someone who has never seen the code write the comment just by looking at the code next to the comment? If the answer is yes, as in the examples above, then the comment doesn’t make the code any easier to understand. Comments like these are why some people think that comments are worthless.

编写注释后，请问自己以下问题：从未看过代码的人能否仅通过查看注释旁边的代码来写出这样的注释？如果答案是肯定的（如上述示例所示），则注释不会使代码更易于理解。像这样的注释是为什么有些人认为注释毫无价值的原因。

Another common mistake is to use the same words in the comment that appear in the name of the entity being documented:

另一个常见的错误是在注释中使用与要被注释实体名称相同的词：

/*
 * Obtain a normalized resource name from REQ.
 */
private static String[] getNormalizedResourceNames(
            HTTPRequest req) ...
/*
 * Downcast PARAMETER to TYPE.
 */
private static Object downCastParameter(String parameter, String type) ...
/*
 * The horizontal padding of each line in the text.
 */
private static final int textHorizontalPadding = 4;

These comments just take the words from the method or variable name, perhaps add a few words from argument names and types, and form them into a sentence. For example, the only thing in the second comment that isn’t in the code is the word “to”! Once again, these comments could be written just by looking at the declarations, without any understanding the methods of variables; as a result, they have no value.

这些注释只是从方法或变量名中提取单词，或者从参数名称和类型中添加几个单词，然后将它们组成一个句子。例如，第二个注释中唯一不在代码中的是单词“ to”！再说一次，这些注释可以仅通过查看声明来编写，而无需任何了解变量的方法，所以它们没有价值。

img Red Flag: Comment Repeats Code img

If the information in a comment is already obvious from the code next to the comment, then the comment isn’t helpful. One example of this is when the comment uses the same words that make up the name of the thing it is describing.

如果注释中的信息可以很明显的从旁边的代码中看出，则注释是没有帮助的。这样的一个例子是，当注释使用与所描述事物名称相同的单词时。

At the same time, there is important information that is missing from the comments: for example, what is a “normalized resource name”, and what are the elements of the array returned by getNormalizedResourceNames? What does “downcast” mean? What are the units of padding, and is the padding on one side of each line or both? Describing these things in comments would be helpful.

同时，注释中缺少一些重要信息：例如，什么是“标准化资源名称”，以及 getNormalizedResourceNames 返回的数组的元素是什么？“downcast”是什么意思？填充的单位是什么，是每行的一边填充还是两边都填充？在注释中描述这些内容将很有帮助。

A first step towards writing good comments is to use different words in the comment from those in the name of the entity being described. Pick words for the comment that provide additional information about the meaning of the entity, rather than just repeating its name. For example, here is a better comment for textHorizontalPadding:

编写良好注释的第一步是在注释中使用与所描述实体名称不同的词。为注释选择单词，以提供有关实体含义的更多信息，而不仅仅是重复其名称。例如，以下是针对 textHorizontalPadding 的更好注释：

/*
 * The amount of blank space to leave on the left and
 * right sides of each line of text, in pixels.
 */
private static final int textHorizontalPadding = 4;

This comment provides additional information that is not obvious from the declaration itself, such as the units (pixels) and the fact that padding applies to both sides of each line. Instead of using the term “padding”, the comment explains what padding is, in case the reader isn’t already familiar with the term.

该注释提供了从声明本身不明显的其他信息，例如单位（像素）以及填充适用于每行两边的事实。如果读者不熟悉该术语，则注释将解释什么是填充，而不是使用术语“填充”。

13.3 Lower-level comments add precision 低级注释可提高精度

Now that you know what not to do, let’s discuss what information you should put in comments. Comments augment the code by providing information at a different level of detail. Some comments provide information at a lower, more detailed, level than the code; these comments add precision by clarifying the exact meaning of the code. Other comments provide information at a higher, more abstract, level than the code; these comments offer intuition, such as the reasoning behind the code, or a simpler and more abstract way of thinking about the code. Comments at the same level as the code are likely to repeat the code. This section discusses the lower-level approach in more detail, and the next section discusses the higher-level approach.

现在您知道了不应该做的事情，让我们讨论应该在注释中添加哪些信息。注释通过提供不同详细程度的信息来增强代码。一些注释提供了比代码更低层，更详细的信息。这些注释通过阐明代码的确切含义来增加精度。其他注释提供了比代码更高层，更抽象的信息。这些注释提供了直觉，例如代码背后的推理，或者更简单，更抽象的代码思考方式。与代码处于同一级别的注释可能会重复该代码。本节将更详细地讨论更底层的方式，而下一节将讨论更高层的方式。

Precision is most useful when commenting variable declarations such as class instance variables, method arguments, and return values. The name and type in a variable declaration are typically not very precise. Comments can fill in missing details such as:

在注释变量声明（例如类实例变量，方法参数和返回值）时，精度最有用。变量声明中的名称和类型通常不是很精确。注释可以填写缺少的详细信息，例如：

• What are the units for this variable?
• Are the boundary conditions inclusive or exclusive?
• If a null value is permitted, what does it imply?
• If a variable refers to a resource that must eventually be freed or closed, who is responsible for freeing or closing it?
• Are there certain properties that are always true for the variable (invariants), such as “this list always contains at least one entry”?

---

• 此变量的单位是什么？
• 边界条件是包含还是排除？
• 如果允许使用空值，那么它意味着什么？
• 如果变量引用了最终必须释放或关闭的资源，那么谁负责释放或关闭该资源？
• 是否存在某些对于变量始终不变的属性（不变量），例如“此列表始终包含至少一个条目”？

Some of this information could potentially be figured out by examining all of the code where the variable is used. However, this is time-consuming and error-prone; the declaration’s comment should be clear and complete enough to make this unnecessary. When I say that the comment for a declaration should describe things that aren’t obvious from the code, “the code” refers to the code next to the comment (the declaration), not “all of the code in the application.”

通过检查使用该变量的所有代码，可以潜在地了解这些信息。但是，这很耗时且容易出错。声明的注释应清晰，完整，使读者没必要通过检查使用该变量的所有代码来了解这些信息。当我说声明的注释应描述代码中不明显的内容时，“代码”是指注释（声明）旁边的代码，而不是“应用程序中的所有代码”。

The most common problem with comments for variables is that the comments are too vague. Here are two examples of comments that aren’t precise enough:

变量注释最常见的问题是注释太模糊。这是两个不够精确的注释示例：

// Current offset in resp Buffer
uint32_t offset;

// Contains all line-widths inside the document and
// number of appearances.
private TreeMap<Integer, Integer> lineWidths;

In the first example, it’s not clear what “current” means. In the second example, it’s not clear that the keys in the TreeMap are line widths and values are occurrence counts. Also, are widths measured in pixels or characters? The revised comments below provide additional details:

在第一个示例中，“current”的含义不清晰。在第二个示例中，不清楚 TreeMap 中的键是不是线宽，值是不适出现次数。另外，宽度是以像素或字符为单位测量的吗？以下修订后的注释提供了更多详细信息：

//  Position in this buffer of the first object that hasn't
//  been returned to the client.
uint32_t offset;

//  Holds statistics about line lengths of the form <length, count>
//  where length is the number of characters in a line (including
//  the newline), and count is the number of lines with
//  exactly that many characters. If there are no lines with
//  a particular length, then there is no entry for that length.
private TreeMap<Integer, Integer> numLinesWithLength;

The second declaration uses a longer name that conveys more information. It also changes “width” to “length”, because this term is more likely to make people think that the units are characters rather than pixels. Notice that the second comment documents not only the details of each entry, but also what it means if an entry is missing.

第二个声明使用一个较长的名称来传达更多信息。它还将“宽度”更改为“长度”，因为该术语更可能使人们认为单位是字符而不是像素。请注意，第二条注释不仅记录了每个条目的详细信息，还记录了缺少条目的含义。

When documenting a variable, think nouns, not verbs. In other words, focus on what the variable represents, not how it is manipulated. Consider the following comment:

在为变量添加注释时，请考虑使用名词而不是动词。换句话说，关注变量代表什么，而不是如何被操纵。考虑以下注释：

/* FOLLOWER VARIABLE: indicator variable that allows the Receiver and the
 * PeriodicTasks thread to communicate about whether a heartbeat has been
 * received within the follower's election timeout window.
 * Toggled to TRUE when a valid heartbeat is received.
 * Toggled to FALSE when the election timeout window is reset.  */
private boolean receivedValidHeartbeat;

This documentation describes how the variable is modified by several pieces of code in the class. The comment will be both shorter and more useful if it describes what the variable represents rather than mirroring the code structure:

本文档描述了如何通过类中的几段代码来修改变量。如果注释描述变量代表什么而不是模仿代码结构，则注释将更短且更有用：

/* True means that a heartbeat has been received since the last time
 * the election timer was reset. Used for communication between the
 * Receiver and PeriodicTasks threads.  */
private boolean receivedValidHeartbeat;

Given this documentation, it’s easy to infer that the variable must be set to true when a heartbeat is received and false when the election timer is reset.

根据本文档，很容易推断出，当接收到心跳信号时，变量必须设置为 true；而当重置选举计时器时，则必须将变量设置为 false。

13.4 Higher-level comments enhance intuition 高级注释可增强直觉

The second way in which comments can augment code is by providing intuition. These comments are written at a higher level than the code. They omit details and help the reader to understand the overall intent and structure of the code. This approach is commonly used for comments inside methods, and for interface comments. For example, consider the following code:

注释可以增加代码可读性的第二种方法是提供直觉。这些注释是在比代码更高的级别上编写的。它们忽略了细节，并帮助读者理解了代码的整体意图和结构。此方法通常用于方法内部的注释以及接口注释。例如，考虑以下代码：

// If there is a LOADING readRpc using the same session
// as PKHash pointed to by assignPos, and the last PKHash
// in that readRPC is smaller than current assigning
// PKHash, then we put assigning PKHash into that readRPC.
int readActiveRpcId = RPC_ID_NOT_ASSIGNED;
for (int i = 0; i < NUM_READ_RPC; i++) {
    if (session == readRpc[i].session
            && readRpc[i].status == LOADING
            && readRpc[i].maxPos < assignPos
            && readRpc[i].numHashes < MAX_PKHASHES_PERRPC) {
        readActiveRpcId = i;
        break;
    }
}

The comment is too low-level and detailed. On the one hand, it partially repeats the code: “if there is a LOADING readRPC” just duplicates the test readRpc[i].status == LOADING. On the other hand, the comment doesn’t explain the overall purpose of this code, or how it fits into the method that contains it. As a result, the comment doesn’t help the reader to understand the code.

该注释太底层也太详细。一方面，它部分重复了代码：“如果有 LOADING readRPC”只是重复了测试 readRpc[i].status == LOADING。另一方面，注释不能解释此代码的总体目的，也不能解释其如何适合包含此代码的方法。如此一来注释不能帮助读者理解代码。

Here is a better comment:

这是一个更好的注释：

// Try to append the current key hash onto an existing
// RPC to the desired server that hasn't been sent yet.

This comment doesn’t contain any details; instead, it describes the code’s overall function at a higher level. With this high-level information, a reader can explain almost everything that happens in the code: the loop must be iterating over all the existing remote procedure calls (RPCs); the session test is probably used to see if a particular RPC is destined for the right server; the LOADING test suggests that RPCs can have multiple states, and in some states it isn’t safe to add more hashes; the MAX - PKHASHES_PERRPC test suggests that there is a limit to how many hashes can be sent in a single RPC. The only thing not explained by the comment is the maxPos test. Furthermore, the new comment provides a basis for readers to judge the code: does it do everything that is needed to add the key hash to an existing RPC? The original comment didn’t describe the overall intent of the code, so it’s hard for a reader to decide whether the code is behaving correctly.

此注释不包含任何详细信息。相反，它在更高级别上描述了代码的整体功能。有了这些高级信息，读者就可以解释代码中几乎发生的所有事情：循环必须遍历所有现有的远程过程调用（RPC）；会话测试可能用于查看特定的 RPC 是否发往正确的服务器；LOADING 测试表明 RPC 可以具有多个状态，在某些状态下添加更多的哈希值是不安全的；MAX-PKHASHES_PERRPC 测试表明在单个 RPC 中可以发送多少个哈希值是有限制的。注释中唯一没有解释的是 maxPos 测试。此外，新注释为读者判断代码提供了基础：它可以完成将密钥哈希添加到现有 RPC 所需的一切吗？原始注释并未描述代码的整体意图，因此，读者很难确定代码是否行为正确。

Higher-level comments are more difficult to write than lower-level comments because you must think about the code in a different way. Ask yourself: What is this code trying to do? What is the simplest thing you can say that explains everything in the code? What is the most important thing about this code?

高级别的注释比低级别的注释更难编写，因为您必须以不同的方式考虑代码。问问自己：这段代码要做什么？您能以何种最简单方式来解释代码中的所有内容？这段代码最重要的是什么？

Engineers tend to be very detail-oriented. We love details and are good at managing lots of them; this is essential for being a good engineer. But, great software designers can also step back from the details and think about a system at a higher level. This means deciding which aspects of the system are most important, and being able to ignore the low-level details and think about the system only in terms of its most fundamental characteristics. This is the essence of abstraction (finding a simple way to think about a complex entity), and it’s also what you must do when writing higher-level comments. A good higher-level comment expresses one or a few simple ideas that provide a conceptual framework, such as “append to an existing RPC.” Given the framework, it becomes easy to see how specific code statements relate to the overall goal.

工程师往往非常注重细节。我们喜欢细节，善于管理其中的许多细节；这对于成为一名优秀的工程师至关重要。但是，优秀的软件设计师也可以从细节退后一步，从更高层次考虑系统。这意味着要确定系统的哪些方面最重要，并且能够忽略底层细节，仅根据系统的最基本特征来考虑系统。这是抽象的本质（找到一种思考复杂实体的简单方法），这也是编写高级注释时必须执行的操作。一个好的高层注释表达了一个或几个简单的想法，这些想法提供了一个概念框架，例如“附加到现有的 RPC”。使用该框架，可以很容易地看到特定的代码语句与总体目标之间的关系。

Here is another code sample, which has a good higher-level comment:

这是另一个代码示例，具有较高层次的注释：

if (numProcessedPKHashes < readRpc[i].numHashes) {
    // Some of the key hashes couldn't be looked up in
    // this request (either because they aren't stored
    // on the server, the server crashed, or there
    // wasn't enough space in the response message).
    // Mark the unprocessed hashes so they will get
    // reassigned to new RPCs.
    for (size_t p = removePos; p < insertPos; p++) {
        if (activeRpcId[p] == i) {
            if (numProcessedPKHashes > 0) {
                numProcessedPKHashes--;
            } else {
                if (p < assignPos)
                    assignPos = p;
                activeRpcId[p] = RPC_ID_NOT_ASSIGNED;
            }
        }
    }
}

This comment does two things. The second sentence provides an abstract description of what the code does. The first sentence is different: it explains (in high level terms) why the code is executed. Comments of the form “how we get here” are very useful for helping people to understand code. For example, when documenting a method, it can be very helpful to describe the conditions under which the method is most likely to be invoked (especially if the method is only invoked in unusual situations).

此注释做了两件事。第二句话提供了代码功能的抽象描述。第一句话是不同的：它以高级的方式解释了为什么执行代码。“如何到达这里”形式的注释对于帮助人们理解代码非常有用。例如，在为方法添加注释时，描述最有可能在什么情况下调用该方法的条件（特别是仅在异常情况下调用该方法的情况）会非常有帮助。

13.5 Interface documentation 接口文档

One of the most important roles for comments is to define abstractions. Recall from Chapter 4 that an abstraction is a simplified view of an entity, which preserves essential information but omits details that can safely be ignored. Code isn’t suitable for describing abstractions; it’s too low level and it includes implementation details that shouldn’t be visible in the abstraction. The only way to describe an abstraction is with comments. If you want code that presents good abstractions, you must document those abstractions with comments.

注释最重要的作用之一就是定义抽象。回想一下第 4 章，抽象是实体的简化视图，它保留了基本信息，但省略了可以安全忽略的细节。代码不适合描述抽象；它的级别太低，它包含实现细节，这些细节在抽象中不应该看到。描述抽象的唯一方法是使用注释。如果您想要呈现良好抽象的代码，则必须用注释记录这些抽象。

The first step in documenting abstractions is to separate interface comments from implementation comments. Interface comments provide information that someone needs to know in order to use a class or method; they define the abstraction. Implementation comments describe how a class or method works internally in order to implement the abstraction. It’s important to separate these two kinds of comments, so that users of an interface are not exposed to implementation details. Furthermore, these two forms had better be different. If interface comments must also describe the implementation, then the class or method is shallow. This means that the act of writing comments can provide clues about the quality of a design; Chapter 15 will return to this idea.

记录抽象的第一步是将接口注释与实现注释分开。接口注释提供了使用类或方法时需要知道的信息。他们定义了抽象。实现注释描述了类或方法如何在内部工作以实现抽象。区分这两种注释很重要，这样接口的用户就不会暴露于实现细节。此外，这两种形式最好有所不同。如果接口注释也必须描述实现，则该类或方法很浅。这意味着撰写注释的行为可以提供有关设计质量的线索；第 15 章将回到这个想法。

The interface comment for a class provides a high-level description of the abstraction provided by the class, such as the following:

类的接口注释提供了该类提供的抽象的高级描述，例如：

/**
 * This class implements a simple server-side interface to the HTTP
 * protocol: by using this class, an application can receive HTTP
 * requests, process them, and return responses. Each instance of
 * this class corresponds to a particular socket used to receive
 * requests. The current implementation is single-threaded and
 * processes one request at a time.
 */
public class Http {...}

This comment describes the overall capabilities of the class, without any implementation details or even the specifics of particular methods. It also describes what each instance of the class represents. Finally, the comments describe the limitations of the class (it does not support concurrent access from multiple threads), which may be important to developers contemplating whether to use it.

该注释描述了类的整体功能，没有任何实现细节，甚至没有特定方法的细节。它还描述了该类的每个实例代表什么。最后，注释描述了该类的限制（它不支持从多个线程的并发访问），这对于考虑是否使用它的开发人员可能很重要。

The interface comment for a method includes both higher-level information for abstraction and lower-level details for precision:

方法的接口注释既包括用于抽象的高层信息，又包括用于精度的低层细节：

• The comment usually starts with a sentence or two describing the behavior of the method as perceived by callers; this is the higher-level abstraction.
• The comment must describe each argument and the return value (if any). These comments must be very precise, and must describe any constraints on argument values as well as dependencies between arguments.
• If the method has any side effects, these must be documented in the interface comment. A side effect is any consequence of the method that affects the future behavior of the system but is not part of the result. For example, if the method adds a value to an internal data structure, which can be retrieved by future method calls, this is a side effect; writing to the file system is also a side effect.
• A method’s interface comment must describe any exceptions that can emanate from the method.
• If there are any preconditions that must be satisfied before a method is invoked, these must be described (perhaps some other method must be invoked first; for a binary search method, the list being searched must be sorted). It is a good idea to minimize preconditions, but any that remain must be documented.

---

• 注释通常以一两个句子开头，描述调用者感知到的方法的行为。这是更高层次的抽象。
• 注释必须描述每个参数和返回值（如果有）。这些注释必须非常精确，并且必须描述对参数值的任何约束以及参数之间的依赖关系。
• 如果该方法有任何副作用，则必须在接口注释中记录这些副作用。副作用是该方法的任何结果都会影响系统的未来行为，但不属于结果的一部分。例如，如果该方法将一个值添加到内部数据结构中，可以通过将来的方法调用来检索该值，则这是副作用。写入文件系统也是一个副作用。
• 方法的接口注释必须描述该方法可能产生的任何异常。
• 如果在调用某个方法之前必须满足任何前提条件，则必须对其进行描述（也许必须先调用其他方法；对于二分查找方法，必须对要搜索的列表进行排序）。尽量减少前提条件是一个好主意，但是任何保留的条件都必须记录在案。

Here is the interface comment for a method that copies data out of a Buffer object:

这是从 Buffer 对象复制数据的方法的接口注释：

/**
 * Copy a range of bytes from a buffer to an external location.
 *
 * \param offset
 *        Index within the buffer of the first byte to copy.
 * \param length
 *        Number of bytes to copy.
 * \param dest
 *        Where to copy the bytes: must have room for at least
 *        length bytes.
 *
 * \return
 *        The return value is the actual number of bytes copied,
 *        which may be less than length if the requested range of
 *        bytes extends past the end of the buffer. 0 is returned
 *        if there is no overlap between the requested range and
 *        the actual buffer.
 */

uint32_t
Buffer::copy(uint32_t offset, uint32_t length, void* dest)
...

The syntax of this comment (e.g., \return) follows the conventions of Doxygen, a program that extracts comments from C/C++ code and compiles them into Web pages. The goal of the comment is to provide all the information a developer needs in order to invoke the method, including how special cases are handled (note how this method follows the advice of Chapter 10 and defines out of existence any errors associated with the range specification). The developer should not need to read the body of the method in order to invoke it, and the interface comment provides no information about how the method is implemented, such as how it scans its internal data structures to find the desired data.

此注释的语法（例如\ return）遵循 Doxygen 的约定，该程序从 C / C++ 代码中提取注释并将其编译为 Web 页。注释的目的是提供开发人员调用该方法所需的所有信息，包括特殊情况的处理方式（请注意，此方法如何遵循第 10 章的建议并定义与范围规范相关的任何错误。 ）。开发人员不必为了调用它而阅读方法的主体，并且接口注释不提供有关如何实现该方法的信息，例如它如何扫描其内部数据结构以查找所需的数据。

For a more extended example, let’s consider a class called IndexLookup, which is part of a distributed storage system. The storage system holds a collection of tables, each of which contains many objects. In addition, each table can have one or more indexes; each index provides efficient access to objects in the table based on a particular field of the object. For example, one index might be used to look up objects based on their name field, and another index might be used to look up objects based on their age field. With these indexes, applications can quickly extract all of the objects with a particular name, or all of those with an age in a given range.

对于更扩展的示例，让我们考虑一个称为 IndexLookup 的类，该类是分布式存储系统的一部分。存储系统拥有一个表集合，每个表包含许多对象。另外，每个表可以具有一个或多个索引；每个索引都基于对象的特定字段提供对表中对象的有效访问。例如，一个索引可以用于根据对象的名称字段查找对象，而另一个索引可以用于根据对象的年龄字段查找对象。使用这些索引，应用程序可以快速提取具有特定名称的所有对象，或具有给定范围内的年龄的所有对象。

The IndexLookup class provides a convenient interface for performing indexed lookups. Here is an example of how it might be used in an application:

IndexLookup 类为执行索引查找提供了一个方便的接口。这是一个如何在应用程序中使用的示例：

query = new IndexLookup(table, index, key1, key2);
while  (true) {
    object = query.getNext();
    if  (object == NULL) {
        break;
    }
    ... process object ...
}

The application first constructs an object of type IndexLookup, providing arguments that select a table, an index, and a range within the index (for example, if the index is based on an age field, key1 and key2 might be specified as 21 and 65 to select all objects with ages between those values). Then the application calls the getNext method repeatedly. Each invocation returns one object that falls within the desired range; once all of the matching objects have been returned, getNext returns NULL. Because the storage system is distributed, the implementation of this class is somewhat complex. The objects in a table may be spread across multiple servers, and each index may also be distributed across a different set of servers; the code in the IndexLookup class must first communicate with all of the relevant index servers to collect information about the objects in the range, then it must communicate with the servers that actually store the objects in order to retrieve their values.

应用程序首先构造一个类型为 IndexLookup 的对象，并提供用于选择表，索引和索引内范围的参数（例如，如果索引基于年龄字段，则 key1 和 key2 可以指定为 21 和 65 选择年龄介于这些值之间的所有对象）。然后，应用程序重复调用 getNext 方法。每次调用都返回一个位于所需范围内的对象。一旦返回所有匹配的对象，getNext 将返回 NULL。因为存储系统是分布式的，所以此类的实现有些复杂。表中的对象可以分布在多个服务器上，每个索引也可以分布在一组不同的服务器上。IndexLookup类中的代码必须首先与所有相关的索引服务器通信，以收集有关该范围内对象的信息，然后必须与实际存储对象的服务器通信，以检索它们的值。

Now let’s consider what information needs to be included in the interface comment for this class. For each piece of information given below, ask yourself whether a developer needs to know that information in order to use the class (my answers to the questions are at the end of the chapter):

现在，让我们考虑该类的接口注释中需要包含哪些信息。对于下面给出的每条信息，问问自己，一个开发人员是否需要知道该信息才能使用该类（我对问题的回答在本章的结尾）：

1. The format of messages that the IndexLookup class sends to the servers holding indexes and objects.
2. The comparison function used to determine whether a particular object falls in the desired range (is comparison done using integers, floating-point numbers, or strings?).
3. The data structure used to store indexes on servers.
4. Whether or not IndexLookup issues multiple requests to different servers concurrently.
5. The mechanism for handling server crashes.

1. IndexLookup 类发送给包含索引和对象的服务器的消息格式。
2. 用于确定特定对象是否在所需范围内的比较功能（使用整数，浮点数或字符串进行比较吗？）。
3. 用于在服务器上存储索引的数据结构。
4. IndexLookup 是否同时向多个服务器发出多个请求。
5. 处理服务器崩溃的机制。

---

Here is the original version of the interface comment for the IndexLookup class; the excerpt also includes a few lines from the class’s definition, which are referred to in the comment:

这是 IndexLookup 类的接口注释的原始版本；摘录还包括类定义的几行内容，在注释中进行了引用：

/*
 * This class implements the client side framework for index range
 * lookups. It manages a single LookupIndexKeys RPC and multiple
 * IndexedRead RPCs. Client side just includes "IndexLookup.h" in
 * its header to use IndexLookup class. Several parameters can be set
 * in the config below:
 * - The number of concurrent indexedRead RPCs
 * - The max number of PKHashes a indexedRead RPC can hold at a time
 * - The size of the active PKHashes
 *
 * To use IndexLookup, the client creates an object of this class by
 * providing all necessary information. After construction of
 * IndexLookup, client can call getNext() function to move to next
 * available object. If getNext() returns NULL, it means we reached
 * the last object. Client can use getKey, getKeyLength, getValue,
 * and getValueLength to get object data of current object.
 */
 class IndexLookup {
       ...
   private:
       /// Max number of concurrent indexedRead RPCs
       static const uint8_t NUM_READ_RPC = 10;
       /// Max number of PKHashes that can be sent in one
       /// indexedRead RPC
       static const uint32_t MAX_PKHASHES_PERRPC = 256;
       /// Max number of PKHashes that activeHashes can
       /// hold at once.
       static const size_t MAX_NUM_PK = (1 << LG_BUFFER_SIZE);
 }

Before reading further, see if you can identify the problems with this comment. Here are the problems that I found:

在进一步阅读之前，看看你是否能找出这个注释的问题。这是我发现的问题：

• Most of the first paragraph concerns the implementation, not the interface. As one example, users don’t need to know the names of the particular remote procedure calls used to communicate with the servers. The configuration parameters referred to in the second half of the first paragraph are all private variables that are relevant only to the maintainer of the class, not to its users. All of this implementation information should be omitted from the comment.
• The comment also includes several things that are obvious. For example, there’s no need to tell users to include IndexLookup.h: anyone who writes C++ code will be able to guess that this is necessary. In addition, the text “by providing all necessary information” says nothing, so it can be omitted.

---

• 第一段的大部分与实现有关，而不是接口。举一个例子，用户不需要知道用于与服务器通信的特定远程过程调用的名称。在第一段的后半部分中提到的配置参数都是所有私有变量，它们仅与类的维护者相关，而与类的用户无关。所有这些实现信息都应从注释中省略。
• 该注释还包括一些显而易见的事情。例如，不需要告诉用户包括 IndexLookup.h：任何编写 C++ 代码的人都可以猜测这是必要的。另外，“通过提供所有必要的信息”一词无语，因此可以省略。

A shorter comment for this class is sufficient (and preferable):

对此类的简短注释就足够了（并且更可取）：

/*
 * This class is used by client applications to make range queries
 * using indexes. Each instance represents a single range query.
 *
 * To start a range query, a client creates an instance of this
 * class. The client can then call getNext() to retrieve the objects
 * in the desired range. For each object returned by getNext(), the
 * caller can invoke getKey(), getKeyLength(), getValue(), and
 * getValueLength() to get information about that object.
 */

The last paragraph of this comment is not strictly necessary, since it mostly duplicates information in the comments for individual methods. However, it can be helpful to have examples in the class documentation that illustrate how its methods work together, particularly for deep classes with usage patterns that are nonobvious. Note that the new comment does not mention NULL return values from getNext. This comment is not intended to document every detail of each method; it just provides high level information to help readers understand how the methods work together and when each method might be invoked. For details, readers can refer to the interface comments for individual methods. This comment also does not mention server crashes; that is because server crashes are invisible to users of this class (the system automatically recovers from them).

此注释的最后一段不是严格必需的，因为它主要在注释中重复了独立方法的信息。但是，在类文档中提供示例来说明其方法如何协同工作可能会有所帮助，特别是对于使用模式不明显的深层类尤其如此。注意，新注释未提及 getNext 的 NULL 返回值。此注释无意记录每种方法的每个细节；它只是提供高级信息，以帮助读者了解这些方法如何协同工作以及何时可以调用每种方法。有关详细信息，读者可以参考接口注释中的各个方法。此注释也没有提到服务器崩溃；这是因为此类服务器的用户看不到服务器崩溃（系统会自动从中恢复）。

img Red Flag: Implementation Documentation Contaminates Interface img

This red flag occurs when interface documentation, such as that for a method, describes implementation details that aren’t needed in order to use the thing being documented.

当接口文档（例如方法的文档）记录了使用过程中不需要知道的实现的详细信息时，就会出现此红色标记。

Now consider the following code, which shows the first version of the documentation for the isReady method in IndexLookup:

现在考虑以下代码，该代码显示 IndexLookup 中 isReady 方法的文档的第一版：

/**
 * Check if the next object is RESULT_READY. This function is
 * implemented in a DCFT module, each execution of isReady() tries
 * to make small progress, and getNext() invokes isReady() in a
 * while loop, until isReady() returns true.
 *
 * isReady() is implemented in a rule-based approach. We check
 * different rules by following a particular order, and perform
 * certain actions if some rule is satisfied.
 *
 * \return
 *         True means the next Object is available. Otherwise, return
 *         false.
 */
bool IndexLookup::isReady() { ... }

Once again, most of this documentation, such as the reference to DCFT and the entire second paragraph, concerns the implementation, so it doesn’t belong here; this is one of the most common errors in interface comments. Some of the implementation documentation is useful, but it should go inside the method, where it will be clearly separated from interface documentation. In addition, the first sentence of the documentation is cryptic (what does RESULT_READY mean?) and some important information is missing. Finally, it isn’t necessary to describe the implementation of getNext here. Here is a better version of the comment:

同样的问题，本文档中的大多数内容，例如对 DCFT 的引用以及整个第二段，都与实现有关，因此不属于此处。这是接口注释中最常见的错误之一。某些实现文档很有用，但应放在方法内部，在该方法中应将其与接口文档明确分开。此外，文档的第一句话是含糊的（RESULT_READY 是什么意思？），并且缺少一些重要信息。最后，无需在此处描述 getNext 的实现。这是注释的更好版本：

/*
 * Indicates whether an indexed read has made enough progress for
 * getNext to return immediately without blocking. In addition, this
 * method does most of the real work for indexed reads, so it must
 * be invoked (either directly, or indirectly by calling getNext) in
 * order for the indexed read to make progress.
 *
 * \return
 *         True means that the next invocation of getNext will not block
 *         (at least one object is available to return, or the end of the
 *         lookup has been reached); false means getNext may block.
 */

This version of the comment provides more precise information about what “ready” means, and it provides the important information that this method must eventually be invoked if the indexed retrieval is to move forward.

此注释版本提供了有关“就绪”含义的更精确信息，并且提供了重要信息，如果要继续进行索引检索，则必须最终调用此方法。

13.6 Implementation comments: what and why, not how 实现注释：什么以及为什么，而不是如何

Implementation comments are the comments that appear inside methods to help readers understand how they work internally. Most methods are so short and simple that they don’t need any implementation comments: given the code and the interface comments, it’s easy to figure out how a method works.

实现注释是出现在方法内部的注释，以帮助读者了解它们在内部的工作方式。大多数方法是如此简短，简单，以至于它们不需要任何实现注释：有了代码和接口注释，就很容易弄清楚方法的工作原理。

The main goal of implementation comments is to help readers understand what the code is doing (not how it does it). Once readers know what the code is trying to do, it’s usually easy to understand how the code works. For short methods, the code only does one thing, which is already described in its interface comment, so no implementation comments are needed. Longer methods have several blocks of code that do different things as part of the method’s overall task. Add a comment before each of the major blocks to provide a high-level (more abstract) description of what that block does. Here is an example:

实现注释的主要目的是帮助读者理解代码在做什么（而不是代码如何工作）。一旦读者知道了代码要做什么，通常就很容易理解代码的工作原理。对于简短的方法，代码只做一件事，该问题已在其接口注释中进行了描述，因此不需要实现注释。较长的方法具有多个代码块，这些代码块作为方法的整体任务的一部分执行不同的操作。在每个主要块之前添加注释，以提供对该块的作用的高级（更抽象）描述。这是一个例子：

// Phase 1: Scan active RPCs to see if any have completed.

For loops, it’s helpful to have a comment before the loop that describes what happens in each iteration:

对于循环，在循环前加一个注释来描述每次迭代中发生的事情是有帮助的：

// Each iteration of the following loop extracts one request from
// the request message, increments the corresponding object, and
// appends a response to the response message.

Notice how this comment describes the loop at a more abstract and intuitive level; it doesn’t go into any details about how a request is extracted from the request message or how the object is incremented. Loop comments are only needed for longer or more complex loops, where it may not be obvious what the loop is doing; many loops are short and simple enough that their behavior is already obvious.

请注意，此注释如何更抽象和直观地描述循环。它没有详细介绍如何从请求消息中提取请求或对象如何递增。仅对于更长或更复杂的循环才需要循环注释，在这种情况下，循环的作用可能并不明显。许多循环足够短且简单，以至于其行为已经很明显。

In addition to describing what the code is doing, implementation comments are also useful to explain why. If there are tricky aspects to the code that won’t be obvious from reading it, you should document them. For example, if a bug fix requires the addition of code whose purpose isn’t totally obvious, add a comment describing why the code is needed. For bug fixes where there is a well-written bug report describing the problem, the comment can refer to the issue in the bug tracking database rather than repeating all its details (“Fixes RAM-436, related to device driver crashes in Linux 2.4.x”). Developers can look in the bug database for more details (this is an example of avoiding duplication in comments, which will be discussed in Chapter 16).

除了描述代码在做什么之外，实现注释还有助于解释为什么这么做。如果代码中有些棘手的方面从阅读中看不出来，则应将它们记录下来。例如，如果一个错误修复程序需要添加目的不是很明显的代码，请添加注释以说明为什么需要该代码。对于错误修复，其中有写得很好的错误报告来描述问题，该注释可以引用错误跟踪数据库中的问题，而不是重复其所有详细信息（“修复 RAM-436，与 Linux 2.4.x 中的设备驱动程序崩溃有关。）。开发人员可以在 bug 数据库中查找更多详细信息（这是一个避免注释重复的示例，这将在第 16 章中进行讨论）。

For longer methods, it can be helpful to write comments for a few of the most important local variables. However, most local variables don’t need documentation if they have good names. If all of the uses of a variable are visible within a few lines of each other, it’s usually easy to understand the variable’s purpose without a comment. In this case it’s OK to let readers read the code to figure out the meaning of the variable. However, if the variable is used over a large span of code, then you should consider adding a comment to describe the variable. When documenting variables, focus on what the variable represents, not how it is manipulated in the code.

对于更长的方法，为一些最重要的局部变量写注释会很有帮助。但是，如果大多数局部变量具有好名字，则不需要文档。如果变量的所有用法在几行之内都是可见的，则通常无需注释即可轻松理解变量的用途。在这种情况下，可以让读者阅读代码来弄清楚变量的含义。但是，如果在大量代码中使用了该变量，则应考虑添加注释以描述该变量。在记录变量时，应关注变量表示的内容，而不是代码中如何对其进行操作。

13.7 Cross-module design decisions 跨模块设计决策

In a perfect world, every important design decision would be encapsulated within a single class. Unfortunately, real systems inevitably end up with design decisions that affect multiple classes. For example, the design of a network protocol will affect both the sender and the receiver, and these may be implemented in different places. Cross-module decisions are often complex and subtle, and they account for many bugs, so good documentation for them is crucial.

在理想环境中，每个重要的设计决策都将封装在一个类中。不幸的是，真实的系统不可避免地最终会影响到多个类的设计决策。例如，网络协议的设计将影响发送方和接收方，并且它们可以在不同的地方实现。跨模块决策通常是复杂而微妙的，并且会导致许多错误，因此，为它们提供良好的文档至关重要。

The biggest challenge with cross-module documentation is finding a place to put it where it will naturally be discovered by developers. Sometimes there is an obvious central place to put such documentation. For example, the RAMCloud storage system defines a Status value, which is returned by each request to indicate success or failure. Adding a Status for a new error condition requires modifying many different files (one file maps Status values to exceptions, another provides a human-readable message for each Status, and so on). Fortunately, there is one obvious place where developers will have to go when adding a new status value, which is the declaration of the Status enum. We took advantage of this by adding comments in that enum to identify all of the other places that must also be modified:

跨模块文档的最大挑战是找到一个放置它的位置，以便开发人员自然地发现它。有时，放置此类文档的中心位置很明显。例如，RAMCloud 存储系统定义一个状态值，每个请求均返回该状态值以指示成功或失败。为新的错误状况添加状态需要修改许多不同的文件（一个文件将状态值映射到异常，另一个文件为每个状态提供人类可读的消息，依此类推）。幸运的是，在添加新的状态值时，有一个显而易见的地方是开发人员必须去的，那就是状态枚举的声明。我们利用了这一点，在该枚举中添加了注释，以标识所有其他必须修改的地方。

typedef enum Status {
    STATUS_OK = 0,
    STATUS_UNKNOWN_TABLET                = 1,
    STATUS_WRONG_VERSION                 = 2,
    ...
    STATUS_INDEX_DOESNT_EXIST            = 29,
    STATUS_INVALID_PARAMETER             = 30,
    STATUS_MAX_VALUE                     = 30,
    // Note: if you add a new status value you must make the following
    // additional updates:
    // (1)  Modify STATUS_MAX_VALUE to have a value equal to the
    //      largest defined status value, and make sure its definition
    //      is the last one in the list. STATUS_MAX_VALUE is used
    //      primarily for testing.
    // (2)  Add new entries in the tables "messages" and "symbols" in
    //      Status.cc.
    // (3)  Add a new exception class to ClientException.h
    // (4)  Add a new "case" to ClientException::throwException to map
    //      from the status value to a status-specific ClientException
    //      subclass.
    // (5)  In the Java bindings, add a static class for the exception
    //      to ClientException.java
    // (6)  Add a case for the status of the exception to throw the
    //      exception in ClientException.java
    // (7)  Add the exception to the Status enum in Status.java, making
    //      sure the status is in the correct position corresponding to
    //      its status code.
}

New status values will be added at the end of the existing list, so the comments are also placed at the end, where they are most likely to be seen.

新的状态值将添加到现有列表的末尾，因此注释也将放在最有可能被看到的末尾。

Unfortunately, in many cases there is not an obvious central place to put cross-module documentation. One example from the RAMCloud storage system was the code for dealing with zombie servers, which are servers that the system believes have crashed, but in fact are still running. Neutralizing zombie servers required code in several different modules, and these pieces of code all depend on each other. None of the pieces of code is an obvious central place to put documentation. One possibility is to duplicate parts of the documentation in each location that depends on it. However, this is awkward, and it is difficult to keep such documentation up to date as the system evolves. Alternatively, the documentation can be located in one of the places where it is needed, but in this case it’s unlikely that developers will see the documentation or know where to look for it.

不幸的是，在许多情况下，并没有一个明显的中心位置来放置跨模块文档。RAMCloud 存储系统中的一个例子是处理僵尸服务器的代码，僵尸服务器是系统认为已经崩溃但实际上仍在运行的服务器。使 zombie server 无效需要几个不同模块中的代码，这些代码都相互依赖。没有一段代码明显是放置文档的中心位置。一种可能性是在每个依赖文档的位置复制文档的部分。然而，这是不适合的，并且随着系统的发展，很难使这样的文档保持最新。或者，文档可以位于需要它的位置之一，但是在这种情况下，开发人员不太可能看到文档或者知道在哪里查找它。

I have recently been experimenting with an approach where cross-module issues are documented in a central file called designNotes. The file is divided up into clearly labeled sections, one for each major topic. For example, here is an excerpt from the file:

我最近一直在尝试一种方法，该方法将跨模块问题记录在一个名为 designNotes 的中央文件中。该文件分为清楚标记的部分，每个主要主题一个。例如，以下是该文件的摘录：

...
> Zombies
-------
> A zombie is a server that is considered dead by the rest of the
> cluster; any data stored on the server has been recovered and will
> be managed by other servers. However, if a zombie is not actually
> dead (e.g., it was just disconnected from the other servers for a
> while) two forms of inconsistency can arise:
* A zombie server must not serve read requests once replacement servers have taken over; otherwise it may return stale data that does not reflect writes accepted by the replacement servers.
* The zombie server must not accept write requests once replacement servers have begun replaying its log during recovery; if it does, these writes may be lost (the new values may not be stored on the replacement servers and thus will not be returned by reads).

> RAMCloud uses two techniques to neutralize zombies. First,
...

Then, in any piece of code that relates to one of these issues there is a short comment referring to the designNotes file:

然后，在与这些问题之一相关的任何代码段中，都有一条简短的注释引用了 designNotes 文件：

// See "Zombies" in designNotes.

With this approach, there is only a single copy of the documentation and it is relatively easy for developers to find it when they need it. However, this has the disadvantage that the documentation is not near any of the pieces of code that depend on it, so it may be difficult to keep up-to-date as the system evolves.

使用这种方法，文档只有一个副本，因此开发人员在需要时可以相对容易地找到它。但是，这样做的缺点是，文档离它依赖的任何代码段都不近，因此随着系统的发展，可能难以保持最新。

13.8 Conclusion 结论

The goal of comments is to ensure that the structure and behavior of the system is obvious to readers, so they can quickly find the information they need and make modifications to the system with confidence that they will work. Some of this information can be represented in the code in a way that will already be obvious to readers, but there is a significant amount of information that can’t easily be deduced from the code. Comments fill in this information.

注释的目的是确保系统的结构和行为对读者来说是显而易见的，因此他们可以快速找到所需的信息，并有信心对其进行修改，以对系统进行修改。这些信息中的某些信息可以以对读者来说显而易见的方式表示在代码中，但是有大量信息无法从代码中轻易推导出。注释将补充此信息。

When following the rule that comments should describe things that aren’t obvious from the code, “obvious” is from the perspective of someone reading your code for the first time (not you). When writing comments, try to put yourself in the mindset of the reader and ask yourself what are the key things he or she will need to know. If your code is undergoing review and a reviewer tells you that something is not obvious, don’t argue with them; if a reader thinks it’s not obvious, then it’s not obvious. Instead of arguing, try to understand what they found confusing and see if you can clarify that, either with better comments or better code.

当遵循注释应描述代码中不明显的内容的规则时，“明显”是从第一次读取您的代码的人（不是您）的角度出发。在撰写注释时，请尝试使自己进入读者的心态，并问自己他或她需要知道哪些关键事项。如果您的代码正在接受审核，并且审核者告诉您某些不明显的内容，请不要与他们争论。如果读者认为它不明显，那么它就不明显。不用争论，而是尝试了解他们发现的令人困惑的地方，并查看是否可以通过更好的注释或更好的代码来澄清它们。

13.9 Answers to questions from Section 13.5 回答第 13.5 节中的问题

Does a developer need to know each of the following pieces of information in order to use the IndexLookup class?

开发人员是否需要了解以下每条信息才能使用 IndexLookup 类？

1. The format of messages that the IndexLookup class sends to the servers holding indexes and objects. No: this is an implementation detail that should be hidden within the class.
2. The comparison function used to determine whether a particular object falls in the desired range (is comparison done using integers, floating-point numbers, or strings?). Yes: users of the class need to know this information.
3. The data structure used to store indexes on servers. No: this information should be encapsulated on the servers; not even the implementation of IndexLookup should need to know this.
4. Whether or not IndexLookup issues multiple requests to different servers concurrently. Possibly: if IndexLookup uses special techniques to improve performance, then the documentation should provide some high-level information about this, since users may care about performance.
5. The mechanism for handling server crashes. No: RAMCloud recovers automatically from server crashes, so crashes are not visible to application-level software; thus, there is no need to mention crashes in the interface documentation for IndexLookup. If crashes were reflected up to applications, then the interface documentation would need to describe how they manifest themselves (but not the details of how crash recovery works).

---

1. IndexLookup 类发送给包含索引和对象的服务器的消息格式。否：这是应隐藏在类中的实现细节。
2. 用于确定特定对象是否在所需范围内的比较功能（使用整数，浮点数或字符串进行比较吗？）。是：该类的用户需要了解此信息。
3. 用于在服务器上存储索引的数据结构。否：此信息应封装在服务器上；甚至 IndexLookup 的实现都不需要知道这一点。
4. IndexLookup 是否同时向多个服务器发出多个请求。可能：如果 IndexLookup 使用特殊技术来提高性能，则文档应提供有关此问题的一些高级信息，因为用户可能会在意性能。
5. 处理服务器崩溃的机制。否：RAMCloud 可从服务器崩溃中自动恢复，因此崩溃对于应用程序级软件不可见；因此，在 IndexLookup 的接口文档中无需提及崩溃。如果崩溃反映到应用程序中，则接口文档将需要描述它们如何表现出来（而不是崩溃恢复如何工作的详细信息）。