Date:         Thu, 20 Sep 2001 15:41:30 GMT
Reply-To:     Ace <b.rogers@VIRGIN.NET>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Ace <b.rogers@VIRGIN.NET>
Subject:      Re: SAS Comments

On 20 Sep 01 15:31:58 GMT, John.W@MEDISCIENCE.CO.UK (John Whittington)
wrote:

>At 13:46 20/09/01 +0000, Ace wrote (in part):
>
>>Sorry, I haven't kept up with this one, buit what's wrong with /* */ ?
>>
>>It's been the standard quoting technique in SAS since the very first
>>versions, where it was borrowed (along with the rest of the data step
>>language) directly from PL/1.
>
>Nothing is 'wrong' with it, provided that a subsequent programmer (even
>oneself, in some cases!) doesn't come along and use that same construct to
>'comment out' blocks of code.

Yes, I take your point. But I'd prefer, as you suggest, to target that
programmer rather than the original one. And I can't agree that there
are better ways to comment out blocks of code - if it's just for
testing they should only submit the step(s) they're testing, otherwise
unwanted code should be completely removed. Save it in an 'old'
version, by all means, but don't leave it in a production program.

--
Ace in Basel