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<H1>[MUD-Dev] Let's talk about numbers.</H1>
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<LI><em>To</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#kanga,nu">mud-dev#kanga,nu</A></LI>
<LI><em>Subject</em>: [MUD-Dev] Let's talk about numbers.</LI>
<LI><em>From</em>: "Jon A. Lambert" &lt;<A HREF="mailto:jlsysinc#ix,netcom.com">jlsysinc#ix,netcom.com</A>&gt;</LI>
<LI><em>Date</em>: Fri, 25 Sep 1998 01:59:33 -5</LI>
<LI><em>Reply-To</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#kanga,nu">mud-dev#kanga,nu</A></LI>
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<PRE>
On 24 Sep 98, Adam Wiggins wrote:
&gt; On Thu, 24 Sep 1998, Jon A. Lambert wrote:
&gt; &gt; &gt; On Tue, Sep 22, 1998 at 10:13:04PM -0500, Vadim Tkachenko wrote:
&gt; &gt; &gt; &gt; Again, why limit yourself with numbers like 50? Why not 500? Why not
&gt; &gt; &gt; &gt; just X?
&gt; &gt; [snip]
&gt; &gt; It begs the question, "Is the fixed dimensional array evil?"
&gt; 
&gt; No.  But designing/implementing something without the slightest
&gt; thought for how you (or someone else) would be able to extend it
&gt; someday is, IMO, one of the greatest failings of modern programing,
&gt; and programmers themselves.

I fully agree with you.  Even about the arrays being not evil.  But 
let's keep that to ourselves. ;)

&gt; Programming 101: don't put magic numbers into the code.

Aye. 

&gt; make them easily locatable constants somewhere at the top with a
&gt; clearly identifiable name. 

Even better, make them external to the program.

&gt;  But a good implementation won't care if it's 10 or 50 or 5000.

Yes.  Flexibility is also lower maintenance.  This is good.
Also a routine that make no assumptions about a piece of data will
be less error prone than one that does.

--
--/*\ Jon A. Lambert - TychoMUD     Internet:jlsysinc#ix,netcom.com /*\--
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--/*\   "Everything that deceives may be said to enchant" - Plato   /*\--


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<UL><LI><STRONG>References</STRONG>:
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<LI><STRONG><A NAME="01177" HREF="msg01177.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: let's call it a spellcraft</A></STRONG>
<UL><LI><EM>From:</EM> "Jon A. Lambert" &lt;jlsysinc#ix,netcom.com&gt;</LI></UL></LI>
<LI><STRONG><A NAME="01194" HREF="msg01194.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: let's call it a spellcraft</A></STRONG>
<UL><LI><EM>From:</EM> Adam Wiggins &lt;adam#angel,com&gt;</LI></UL></LI>
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<ul><li>Thread context:
<BLOCKQUOTE><UL>
<LI><STRONG>[MUD-Dev] Re: Let's talk about numbers.</STRONG>, <EM>(continued)</EM>
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<LI><strong><A NAME="01247" HREF="msg01247.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Let's talk about numbers.</A></strong>, 
Adam J. Thornton <a href="mailto:adam#phoenix,Princeton.EDU">adam#phoenix,Princeton.EDU</a>, Sat 26 Sep 1998, 03:31 GMT
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="01250" HREF="msg01250.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Let's talk about numbers.</A></strong>, 
Caliban Tiresias Darklock <a href="mailto:caliban#darklock,com">caliban#darklock,com</a>, Sat 26 Sep 1998, 04:18 GMT
<LI><strong><A NAME="01267" HREF="msg01267.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: Let's talk about numbers.</A></strong>, 
Adam J. Thornton <a href="mailto:adam#phoenix,Princeton.EDU">adam#phoenix,Princeton.EDU</a>, Sat 26 Sep 1998, 16:44 GMT
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<LI><strong><A NAME="01194" HREF="msg01194.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: let's call it a spellcraft</A></strong>, 
Adam Wiggins <a href="mailto:adam#angel,com">adam#angel,com</a>, Thu 24 Sep 1998, 18:08 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="01214" HREF="msg01214.html">[MUD-Dev] Let's talk about numbers.</A></strong>, 
Jon A. Lambert <a href="mailto:jlsysinc#ix,netcom.com">jlsysinc#ix,netcom.com</a>, Fri 25 Sep 1998, 05:59 GMT
</LI>
</UL>
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="01198" HREF="msg01198.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: let's call it a spellcraft</A></strong>, 
Brandon J. Rickman <a href="mailto:ashes#pc4,zennet.com">ashes#pc4,zennet.com</a>, Thu 24 Sep 1998, 19:53 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="01201" HREF="msg01201.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: let's call it a spellcraft</A></strong>, 
Adam J. Thornton <a href="mailto:adam#phoenix,Princeton.EDU">adam#phoenix,Princeton.EDU</a>, Thu 24 Sep 1998, 22:13 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="01206" HREF="msg01206.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: let's call it a spellcraft</A></strong>, 
Brandon J. Rickman <a href="mailto:ashes#pc4,zennet.com">ashes#pc4,zennet.com</a>, Fri 25 Sep 1998, 02:43 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="01228" HREF="msg01228.html">[MUD-Dev] Re: numbers - was Re: spellcraft</A></strong>, 
Orion Henry <a href="mailto:orionz#ix,netcom.com">orionz#ix,netcom.com</a>, Fri 25 Sep 1998, 19:28 GMT
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