Date:         Wed, 19 Sep 2001 14:29:23 -0400
Reply-To:     Mike Rhoads <RHOADSM1@WESTAT.COM>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Mike Rhoads <RHOADSM1@WESTAT.COM>
Subject:      Re: SAS Comments
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Unfortunately, I don't think there is any method of commenting that is
completely goof-proof.  One thing that I don't think has been mentioned yet
is that the * ... ; style of comment can have particularly invidious results
when a harried programmer (could be you, could be me) forgets the semicolon
at the end.  Several years ago, I was working with a programmer trying to
figure out why her DATA step logic wasn't working.  She had an IF-condition
that was certainly true at least some of the time, but the desired action
never seemed to be taking place.  Eventually we spotted the problem:

DATA whatever;
  (stuff)
  * Only do this for the current round
  IF ... THEN ... ;

Yep, the following statement gets "eaten".  At least when you make a mistake
nesting /* ... */ style comments, the mischief is usually pretty obvious,
since the extra */ will almost always result in a syntax error.

Mike Rhoads
Westat
RhoadsM1@Westat.com