Show current file's block hierarchy - phpstorm

Is there a way in PhpStorm to show the hierarchy of where I am in the code? I'll often be placed on line 800 of some crappy top-down file and have no idea what block of the file I'm in.
For example, if my code looked like:
if (a) {
// ... 200 lines of code ...
if (unrelated) {
// ... 200 lines of code ...
}
if (b) {
// ... 200 lines of code ...
} else {
// ... 200 lines of code ...
if (c) {
switch ($var) {
case 'a':
[MY CURRENT CURSOR LOCATION]
}
} else {
// ... 200 lines of code ...
}
}
}
I'd want to see a summary something like:
if (a) {
if (b) {} else {
if (c) {
switch case 'a':

That is not available for PHP (and I'm not sure if it's present for any other supported "coding" language like JS/Java/Ruby/Python/etc).
For PHP it shows max 3 levels: Namespace, Class and Method. It does not include control/logic flow directives (if/else/for/switch)
For hierarchical/markup languages like HTML/XML/JSON/YAML/CSS (mainly pre-processors that allow nesting) and alike it will show more nodes due to their nature.
The best I can suggest right now that will help a bit (excluding refactoring such code as it's out of the scope and may not always be possible):
CodeGlance plugin (will show scrollable small code overview on a side like Sublime has).
Use code folding to collapse not-needed-at-the-moment nodes (can be standard nodes or custom block of text).
If you hover over closing collapsing mark (that plus/minus clickable element on the left editor edge that expands/collapses the node) IDE will show you top 5 or so lines of the opening block via temp popup at the top -- good to identify what is the closest "branch" you are in.
Partially related existing tickets:
https://youtrack.jetbrains.com/issue/IDEA-173179
https://youtrack.jetbrains.com/issue/WI-22484
Feel free to submit your own Feature Request ticket at PhpStorm's Issue Tracker.
The possible issue with implementing this might be the expected complexity of the "if" conditions (most obvious case) -- quite often it will consist of 2+ conditions that might be quite lengthy (e.g. occupies 2+ lines). Problem arise with "how to display it in that small breadcrumbs area that is available".

Related

Forcing a Classified Document to Another Layout within Hyperscience

I want to force a document to classify against a particular layout on Hyperscience - is this possible? I can use the uuid, layout_uuid, layout_version_uuid, along with other metadata. I also want to include the pages belonging to the document if it has been classified already.
I’ve already set up the custom code block to perform this function as below:
def force_classification(submission: Any) -> Any:
***insert code here***
return submission
cct_force_classification = CodeBlock(
reference_name='force_classification',
code=force_classification,
code_input={'submission': previous_block.output('submission')},
title='Force Classification',
description='Force Classification',
)
Reading the SDK docs, I didn't see a clear way to do this. I'm wondering if this is just not possible?
Yes, this is possible! However, there are some limitations. You are able to use a custom code block to specify the layout that a document must be classified against if it has already been classified, as long as the layout that you’re forcing classification against is a semi-structured layout.
new_documents = []
for document in submission.get('documents', []):
if document['layout_uuid'] == 'layout_uuid[1]':
new_document = {
'uuid': document['id'],
'layout_version_uuid': 'layout_version_uuid[2]',
'layout_uuid': 'layout_uuid[1]',
'pages': [{
'submission_page_id': page['id'],
'page_number': page['submission_page_number'],
'classification_type': page['classification_type'],
} for page in document.get('pages', [])],
'metadata': {},
}
new_documents.append(new_document)
return {'submission': submission, 'new_documents': new_documents}
Note that, here, layout_uuid[1] refers to an existing document, and 2 corresponds to the metadata of the other layout you want to force classification against.
Keep in mind that this is still superficial (client side) and will not reflect in the Hyperscience db until you sync this new document back.

Orchard - Add an additional shape name (i.e. an alternate) for the main List shape

Introduce the Problem
I would like to profoundly modify the layout of the Orchard CMS Tags list.
Here is an example page with Shape Tracing enabled.
The only alternate that it suggests for the List shape is ~/Themes/TheThemeMachine/Views/List.cshtml, because the page is rendering the default List shape. I would like to have other alternates that are specific to the page.
After reading Orchard list customization, I have been able to implement the default List.cshtml in razor. What I would like to do, though, is to add another alternate, such as ~/Themes/TheThemeMachine/Views/Parts.Tags.List.cshtml instead of implementing the default List.cshtml template.
The problem seems to be that the page is rendering the generic List shape.
In contrast, the blog post list page is rendering a Parts_Blogs_BlogPost_List shape, which means that a ~/Themes/TheThemeMachine/Views/Parts.Blogs.BlogPost.List.cshtml is available.
Search and Research
All quotes below are from the Orchard list customization blog post, which explains how to add a list item alternate (whereas I would like to add a list alternate).
What we really want is an alternate template... aptly called Shape
Alternates... [so] enable Shape Tracing... and select a post in the list...
[you will see that] we already have some possible alternates.
My example page also has some possible alternates for the List Content. Cool.
we need to somehow get into list rendering... [t]he default is defined
in code... [which] can be override by a new [cshtml] template in our
theme.
Okay. That makes sense. We can override the list rendering.
As Shape Tracing can show, we can override the list rendering for a
blog by creating a Parts.Blog.BlogPost.List.cshtml template.
This works for alog but not for the blog Tag page (example page). You see, the blog displays a **Parts_Blogs_BlogPost_List shape and suggests an appropriate alternate but the blog tags page displays the default List shape with no alternates other than List.cshtml.
Blog Page with alternates galore
Blog Tags Page with one alternate List.cshtml
So, I created a List.cshtml not a Parts.Blog.BlogPost.List.cshtml template, and save it in my theme's Views directory. (One problem here is that, once we get it working, we will b overriding the default List rendering.)
Then I add the Razor code (copy and pasted from Bertrand's post) to override the default rendering for Lists. When I refresh the site, the browser renders a blank page. It isn't working. Here's the code:
This Does NOT Work in List.cshtml
#using Orchard.DisplayManagement.Shapes;
#{
var list = Model.ContentItems;
var items = list.Items;
var count = items.Count;
var listTag = Tag(list, "ul");
listTag.AddCssClass("content-items");
listTag.AddCssClass("blog-posts");
var index = 0;
}
#listTag.StartElement
#foreach (var item in items) {
var itemTag = Tag(item, "li");
if (index == 0) {
itemTag.AddCssClass("first");
}
else if (index == count - 1) {
itemTag.AddCssClass("last");
}
#itemTag.StartElement
#Display(item)
#itemTag.EndElement
++index;
}
#listTag.EndElement
As a trouble shooting step, I replace the List.cshtml with <p>Hello world.</p>. Orchard renders the markup as expected. So, something is incompatible between the Razor code from Bertrand's blog and the Tags List.
To find out what exactly is incompatible, I try Betrand's code one line at time to see where it breaks (yup, VS would be better than WM here). At each change, I restart WebMatrix and view the results. This is the minimal code that breaks it.
The Culprit
#using Orchard.DisplayManagement.Shapes;
#{
var list = Model.ContentItems;
var items = list.Items;
}
list.Items isn't appropriate here. So I comment it out again and run the <p>Hello World</p> version again. Also, Shape Tracing reveals that on my Tags/tagname page, the Content Zone is now rendering the List twice. Is that normal?
As another step, I replace Model.ContentItems just with Model. It works. It seems that, to override the List.cshtml template, we cannot use the ContentItems property of Model. Here is the new, working code:
This Does Work in List.cshtml
#using Orchard.DisplayManagement.Shapes;
#{
//var list = Model.ContentItems;
//var items = list.Items;
var items = Model.Items;
var count = items.Count;
//var listTag = Tag(list, "ul");
var listTag = Tag(Model, "ul");
listTag.AddCssClass("content-items");
listTag.AddCssClass("blog-posts");
var index = 0;
}
#listTag.StartElement
#foreach (var item in items) {
var itemTag = Tag(item, "li");
if (index == 0) {
itemTag.AddCssClass("first");
}
else if (index == count - 1) {
itemTag.AddCssClass("last");
}
#itemTag.StartElement
#Display(item)
#itemTag.EndElement
++index;
}
#listTag.EndElement
Onward through the article.
So far so good, we have effectively taken over the rendering of the
list, but the actual HTML [will] be... identical to what we had before
[except for] the implementation.
Okay. I'm following. We want to modify the rendering not just re-implement it.
Alternates are a collection of strings that describe additional shape
names for the current shape... in the Metadata.Alternates property of any shape.
Gotcha. Now, why doesn't the Tags/tagname page show an alternate other than just List.cshtml for the rendering of the List shape?
All we need to do is add to this list [of alternates]... [and make sure] to respect the lifecycle...
Great. Maybe we can we add another alternate for the List shape on the Tags/tagname page. But, doing that is different from what Betrand is explaining. While Betrand's blog post is excellent, it is explaining how to add an alternate for an item, whereas I would like to add an alternate for the list.
The List.cshtml template is where I would add an alternate for a List Item as follows:
ShapeMetadata metadata = item.Metadata;
string alternate = metadata.Type + "_" +
metadata.DisplayType + "__" +
item.ContentItem.ContentType +
"_First";
metadata.OnDisplaying(ctx => {
metadata.Alternates.Add(alternate);
});
So that...
[t]he list of alternates from Shape Tracing now contains a new item.
Where and how, though, would I add an alternate for the List shape? Bertrand has recommended to check out the Shape Table Providers blog post for this. The quotes below are from that post.
But what if you want to change another shape template for specific
pages, for example the main Content shape on the home page?
This looks like a fit, because my example is the main List shape on the tags page. To do this we...
... handle an event that is triggered every time a shape named "Content"
[in our case "List"] is about to be displayed. [It] is implemented in a shape table provider which is where you do all shape related site-wide operations.
Great! Here is my implementation for adding another template for the main List shape.
TheThemeMachine > ListShapeProvider.cs
namespace Themes.TheThemeMachine
{
using Orchard.DisplayManagement.Descriptors;
public class ListShapeProvider : IShapeTableProvider
{
public void Discover(ShapeTableBuilder builder)
{
System.Diagnostics.Debugger.Break(); // break not hit
builder.Describe("List").OnDisplaying(displaying => {
// do stuff to the shape
displaying.ShapeMetadata.Alternates.Add("Tags__List");
});
}
}
}
The above builds and runs but does not hit the breakpoint nor add an alternate for the List shape on the /tags page. So I looked into the Orchard.Azure.MediaServices module and its CloudVideoPlayerShape which implements IShapeTableProvider. Its breakpoint does get hit. How is my code for ListShapeProvider fundamentally different than the code for the CloudVideoPlayerShape?
Also, I installed the Orchard.Themes.CustomLayoutMachine.1.0.nupkg as suggested in Bertrand's blog post. It unfortunately no longer contains an implementation of IShapeTableProvider.
I have also looked at this szmyd post, which does not explain where to put the IShapeTableProvider code.
Further, I installed the Contoso theme from the Orchard Gallery. It works and builds after adding a reference to Microsoft.CSharp. It also includes an implementation of the IShapeTableProvider. Hooray! Comparing its ContentShapeProvider with my ListShapeProvider reveals a subtle but important difference:
Contoso.csproj
<ItemGroup>
<Compile Include="Code\ContentShapeProvider.cs" />
</ItemGroup>
My implementation didn't include the .cs file in the compilation, because my theme has neither a .csproj nor a App_Code folder. So, I recreated my theme with the following code generation:
orchard.exe
feature enable Orchard.CodeGeneration
codegen theme My.FirstTheme /CreateProject:true
theme enable My.FirstTheme
feature enable Orchard.DesignerTools
When adding the ListShapeProvider.cs file, Visual Studio automatically added a ItemGroup/Compile entry for the file, which included the code in compilation. Hooray!
These two posts will help.
Shape Shifting
List Customization
Here are steps of my own minimum solution.
Download and unzip Orchard.Source.1.8.zip.
Open "\Downloads\Orchard.Source.1.8\src\Orchard.sln" in Visual Studio.
Build the solution to create orchard.exe.
Generate a new theme with orchard.exe. Use CreateProject:true because you will need a csproj to include your .cs file.
orchard.exe
setup /SiteName:SITE /AdminUsername:ME /AdminPassword:PWD /DatabaseProvider:SqlCe
feature enable Orchard.CodeGeneration
codegen theme My.FirstTheme /CreateProject:true
theme enable My.FirstTheme
In VS, add a ListShapeProvier.cs file to the root (or any folder) in your theme.
Add the following code to ListShapeProvider.cs.
namespace My.FirstTheme
{
using Orchard.DisplayManagement.Descriptors;
public class ListShapeProvider : IShapeTableProvider
{
public void Discover(ShapeTableBuilder builder)
{
System.Diagnostics.Debugger.Break();
// implementation here
}
}
}
Build the solution.
Run Orchard.Web.
Visual Studio will break at System.Diagnostics.Debugger.Break(). If it doesn't, go to the Orchard Dashboard and make My.FirstTheme the Current Theme.
Now read Shape Shifting to implement public void Discover(ShapeTableBuilder builder).
This post should give you a full response: http://weblogs.asp.net/bleroy/archive/2011/05/23/orchard-list-customization-first-item-template.aspx

Mediawiki: Same section with multiple names (section aliases/synonyms)

Is it possible to give the same section multiple names in mediawiki out-of-the-box (vastly preferred), or do I need to write my own hook/extension/plugin (and if so, tips on how to do so much appreciated)?
In my case, I have example code on single compilation page that I want to link to for multiple individual articles by the name of each article. For instance, I would like something like the following the work.
Page: Interrupts Code Examples
===(EIMSK|EICRA)===
void interrupt01_init(void)
{
EICRA = 0X0F; // in binary, 1111. That is, the rising edge of INT1 and INT0 generate an interrupt request.
EIMSK = 0X03; // in binary, 0011. Enables INT0 and INT1 interrupts.
}
and both of the following would link to the same section, but with the appropriate name for each page:
Page: EICRA:
[[Interrupts Code Examples#{{PAGENAME}}]]
Page: EIMSK:
[[Interrupts Code Examples#{{PAGENAME}}]]
For full context, see example page http://narwhaledu.com/AVRwiki/index.php?title=PCMSK0.
It's possible I could use something like mediawiki: is there a way to automatically create redirect pages that redirect to the current page?, but is it possible to write it for sections instead of pages? Also, although acceptable, I would prefer not to have the allowed aliases be ALL the sections on a page; for instance, on http://narwhaledu.com/AVRwiki/index.php?title=Interrupts_Code_Examples, I have an "about" section.
Edit:
If it wasn't clear, ideally the when the user visits
Page: Interrupts Code Examples#PAGENAME
they see a properly populated section title, instead of "EIMSK or EICRA Example Code" (since there can be a LOT of aliases to a code example)
==={{{PAGENAME}}}===
void interrupt01_init(void)
{
EICRA = 0X0F; // in binary, 1111. That is, the rising edge of INT1 and INT0 generate an interrupt request.
EIMSK = 0X03; // in binary, 0011. Enables INT0 and INT1 interrupts.
}
I can get transclusion to work but not links.
Page: Template:Interrupts Code Examples
=={{#ifexist: {{{pagename}}} | [[{{{pagename}}}]] | External Interrupts Example Code One}}==
{{Template:ExampleCode~PCMSK0, PCMSK1, PCMSK2, PCICR, PCINT0_vect, PCINT1_vect}}
My ideal syntax would be
[[ Template:Interrupts Code Examples|pagename={{PAGENAME}} ]]
but obviously this produces instead a link to the nonexistant page pagename=Name_of_Register instead of linking to Interrupts Code Examples and passing the parameter {{PAGENAME}} such that I can reference it in Interrupts Code Examples with {{{pagename}}} and thereby generate my section header..
This would keep the compilation page clean (only have two code examples instead of copying each one 5x for each alias, my current solution), but I can only pass parameters to the template if I transclude, not if I link to the template, I believe. Is this true?
I may just use the "Example Code One" catchall for wiki markup readability in the end since this is starting to break my brain...
Any HTML anchor will work as a section link. So, if you have <span id="foo">, you can use [[Bla#foo]] to jump to the span. You'll need one HTML element per ID, but that's still workable I think.

MVC Sitemap renders empty when the current action is not in the Mvc.sitemap file

Is it possible to force the sitemap control to render the menu when the current action is not listed in the MVC.sitemap file?
I have a simple top nav. When the current action is in the sitemap, the call to .Menu() will render the correct <ul><li>.. data. However, if I got to a page that is not in the sitemap such as /Home/Login, then it will not render any html at all (not even a comment, just empty space). This isn't an [authorize] issue; the menu is fine when i'm in '/Home/Index'.
It seems like it should render what was requested, but just not set the IsCurrentNode and IsNodeInPath properties. Here is the call I am making
<div id="main-nav">
#Html.MvcSiteMap().Menu(0, true, true, 1)
</div>
The Mvc.sitemap file:
<mvcSiteMapNode title="Home" controller="Home" action="Index">
<mvcSiteMapNode title="Form New Human" controller="Person" action="Create"/>
<!-- there is no mvcSiteMapNode for "Home" "Login" -->
</mvcSiteMapNode>
Found the way around it. It apparently isn't a built in extension method, or at least I couldn't find one. You could call Html.MvcSitemap().Menu(Html.MvcSiteMap.Provider.RootNode,...) but I didn't want to instantiate the helper twice.
<div id="main-nav">
#{
var sm = Html.MvcSiteMap();
#sm.Menu(sm.Provider.RootNode, true, true, 2); // 2 levels (home, plus main nav)
}
</div>
Looking around in the disassembly seems to show that it works a little like this:
You really need a starting node
If you don't give it one, it tries to find one based on the current node
plus restrictions (forward searching, depth restrictions, etc)
if you want nodes from level 1, you have to know what level you are on
Since that returns null, starting node is null, which means the helper writes an empty string
There may be a combination of tricks, or an overload or two, which can be finagled into doing this, but I can't find it right now. This works for my needs (simple top menu). There has to be a simpler way to do this, something with wild cards, or route based, with a closest match thing going on. I figured menus were a fairly standard part of a web app, and this would be covered :)

Stylistic Question: Use of White Space

I have a particularly stupid insecurity about the aesthetics of my code... my use of white space is, frankly, awkward. My code looks like a geek dancing; not quite frightening, but awkward enough that you feel bad staring, yet can't look away.
I'm just never sure when I should leave a blank line or use an end of line comment instead of an above line comment. I prefer to comment above my code, but sometimes it seems strange to break the flow for a three word comment. Sometimes throwing an empty line before and after a block of code is like putting a speed bump in an otherwise smooth section of code. For instance, in a nested loop separating a three or four line block of code in the center almost nullifies the visual effect of indentation (I've noticed K&R bracers are less prone to this problem than Allman/BSD/GNU styles).
My personal preference is dense code with very few "speed bumps" except between functions/methods/comment blocks. For tricky sections of code, I like to leave a large comment block telling you what I'm about to do and why, followed by a few 'marker' comments in that code section. Unfortunately, I've found that some other people generally enjoy generous vertical white space. On one hand I could have a higher information density that some others don't think flows very well, and on the other hand I could have a better flowing code base at the cost of a lower signal to noise ratio.
I know this is such a petty, stupid thing, but it's something I really want to work on as I improve the rest of my skill set.
Would anyone be willing to offer some hints? What do you consider to be well flowing code and where is it appropriate to use vertical white space? Any thoughts on end of line commenting for two or three words comments?
Thanks!
P.S.
Here's a method from a code base I've been working on. Not my best, but not my worst by far.
/**
* TODO Clean this up a bit. Nothing glaringly wrong, just a little messy.
* Packs all of the Options, correctly ordered, in a CommandThread for executing.
*/
public CommandThread[] generateCommands() throws Exception
{
OptionConstants[] notRegular = {OptionConstants.bucket, OptionConstants.fileLocation, OptionConstants.test, OptionConstants.executable, OptionConstants.mountLocation};
ArrayList<Option> nonRegularOptions = new ArrayList<Option>();
CommandLine cLine = new CommandLine(getValue(OptionConstants.executable));
for (OptionConstants constant : notRegular)
nonRegularOptions.add(getOption(constant));
// --test must be first
cLine.addOption(getOption(OptionConstants.test));
// and the regular options...
Option option;
for (OptionBox optionBox : optionBoxes.values())
{
option = optionBox.getOption();
if (!nonRegularOptions.contains(option))
cLine.addOption(option);
}
// bucket and fileLocation must be last
cLine.addOption(getOption(OptionConstants.bucket));
cLine.addOption(getOption(OptionConstants.fileLocation));
// Create, setup and deploy the CommandThread
GUIInteractiveCommand command = new GUIInteractiveCommand(cLine, console);
command.addComponentsToEnable(enableOnConnect);
command.addComponentsToDisable(disableOnConnect);
if (!getValue(OptionConstants.mountLocation).equals(""))
command.addComponentToEnable(mountButton);
// Piggy-back a Thread to start a StatReader if the call succeeds.
class PiggyBack extends Command
{
Configuration config = new Configuration("piggyBack");
OptionConstants fileLocation = OptionConstants.fileLocation;
OptionConstants statsFilename = OptionConstants.statsFilename;
OptionConstants mountLocation = OptionConstants.mountLocation;
PiggyBack()
{
config.put(OptionConstants.fileLocation, getOption(fileLocation));
config.put(OptionConstants.statsFilename, getOption(statsFilename));
}
#Override
public void doPostRunWork()
{
if (retVal == 0)
{
// TODO move this to the s3fronterSet or mounts or something. Take advantage of PiggyBack's scope.
connected = true;
statReader = new StatReader(eventHandler, config);
if (getValue(mountLocation).equals(""))
{
OptionBox optBox = getOptionBox(mountLocation);
optBox.getOption().setRequired(true);
optBox.requestFocusInWindow();
}
// UGLY HACK... Send a 'ps aux' to grab the parent PID.
setNextLink(new PSCommand(getValue(fileLocation), null));
fireNextLink();
}
}
}
PiggyBack piggyBack = new PiggyBack();
piggyBack.setConsole(console);
command.setNextLink(piggyBack);
return new CommandThread[]{command};
}
It doesn't matter.
1) Develop a style that is your own. Whatever it is that you find easiest and most comfortable, do it. Try to be as consistent as you can, but don't become a slave to consistency. Shoot for about 90%.
2) When you're modifying another developer's code, or working on a group project, use the stylistic conventions that exist in the codebase or that have been laid out in the style guide. Don't complain about it. If you are in a position to define the style, present your preferences but be willing to compromise.
If you follow both of those you'll be all set. Think of it as speaking the same language in two different ways. For example: speaking differently around your friends than you do with your grandfather.
It's not petty to make pretty code. When I write something I'm really proud of, I can usually take a step back, look at an entire method or class, and realize exactly what it does at a glance - even months later. Aesthetics play a part in that, though not as large of a part as good design. Also, realize you can't always write pretty code, (untyped ADO.NET anyone?) but when you can, please do.
Unfortunately, at this higher level at least, I'm not sure there are any hard rules you can adhere to to always produce aesthetically pleasing code. One piece of advice I can offer is to simply read code. Lots of it. In many different frameworks and languages.
I like to break up logical "phrases" of code with white space. This helps others easily visualize the logic in the the method - or remind me when I go back and look at old code. For example, I prefer
reader.MoveToContent();
if( reader.Name != "Limit" )
return false;
string type = reader.GetAttribute( "type" );
if( type == null )
throw new SecureLicenseException( "E_MissingXmlAttribute" );
if( String.Compare( type, GetLimitName(), false ) != 0 )
throw new SecureLicenseException( "E_LimitValueMismatch", type, "type" );
instead of
reader.MoveToContent();
if( reader.Name != "Limit" )
return false;
string type = reader.GetAttribute( "type" );
if( type == null )
throw new SecureLicenseException( "E_MissingXmlAttribute" );
if( String.Compare( type, GetLimitName(), false ) != 0 )
throw new SecureLicenseException( "E_LimitValueMismatch", type, "type" );
The same break can almost be accomplished with braces but I find that actually adds visual noise and reduces the amount of code that can be visually consumed simultaneously.
Commens on code line
As for comments at the end of the line - almost never. The're not really bad, just easy to miss when scanning through code. And they clutter up the line taking away from the code making it harder to read. Our brains are already wired to grok line by line. When the comment is at the end of the line we have to split the line into two concrete concepts - code and comment. I say if it's important enough to comment on, put it on the line proceeding the code.
That being said, I do find one or two line hint comments about the meaning of a specific value are sometimes OK.
I find code with very little whitespace hard to read and navigate in, since I need to actually read the code to find logical structure in it. Clever use of whitespace to separate logical parts in functions can increase the ease of understanding the code, not only for the author but also for others.
Keep in mind that if you are working in an environment where your code is likely to be maintained by others, they will have spent the majority of their time looking at code that was not written by you. If your style distinctly differs from what they are used to seeing, your smooth code may be a speed bump for them.
I minimize white space. I put the main comment block above the code block and Additional end of line comments on the Stuff that may not be obvious to another dveloper. I think you are doing that already
My preferred style is probably anathema to most developers, but I will add occasional blank lines to separate what seem like appropriate 'paragraphs' of code. It works for me, nobody has complained during code reviews (yet!), but I can imagine that it might seem arbitrary to others. If other people don't like it I'll probably stop.
The most important thing to remember is that when you join an existing code base (as you almost always will in your professional career) you need to adhere to the code style guide dictated by the project.
Many developers, when starting a project afresh, choose to use a style based on the Linux kernel coding-style document. The latest version of that doc can be viewed at http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git;a=blob;f=Documentation/CodingStyle;h=8bb37237ebd25b19759cc47874c63155406ea28f;hb=HEAD.
Likewise many maintainers insist that you use Checkpatch before submitting changes to version control. You can see the latest version that ships with the Linux kernel in same tree I linked to above at scripts/checkpatch.pl (I would link to it but I'm new and can only post one hyperlink per answer).
While Checkpatch is not specifically related to your question about whitespace usage, it will certainly help you eliminate trailing whitespace, spaces before tabs, etc.
Code Complete, by Steve McConnell (available in the usual locations) is my bible on this sort of thing. It has a whole chapter on layout and style that is just excellent. The whole book is just chock full of useful and practical advice.
I use exactly the same amount of whitespace as you :) Whitespace before methods, before comment blocks. In C, C++ the brackets also provide some "pseudo-whitespace" as there is only a single opening/closing brace on some lines, so this also serves to break up the code density.
Your code is fine, just do what you (and others you might work with) are comfortable with.
The only thing I see wrong with some (inexperienced) programmers about whitespace is that they can be afraid to use it, which is not true in this case.
I did however notice that you did not use more than one consecutive blank line in your sample code, which, in certain cases, you should use.
Here is how I would refactor that method. Things can surely still be improved and I did not yet refactor the PiggyBack class (I just moved it to an upper level).
By using the Composed Method pattern, the code becomes easier to read when it's divided into methods that each do one thing and work on a single level of abstraction. Also less comments are needed. Comments that answer to the question "what" are code smells (i.e. the code should be refactored to be more readable). Useful comments answer to the question "why", and even then it would be better to improve the code so that the reason will be obvious (sometimes that can be done by having a test that will fail without the inobvious code).
public CommandThread[] buildCommandsForExecution() {
CommandLine cLine = buildCommandLine();
CommandThread command = buildCommandThread(cLine);
initPiggyBack(command);
return new CommandThread[]{command};
}
private CommandLine buildCommandLine() {
CommandLine cLine = new CommandLine(getValue(OptionConstants.EXECUTABLE));
// "--test" must be first, and bucket and file location must be last,
// because [TODO: enter the reason]
cLine.addOption(getOption(OptionConstants.TEST));
for (Option regularOption : getRegularOptions()) {
cLine.addOption(regularOption);
}
cLine.addOption(getOption(OptionConstants.BUCKET));
cLine.addOption(getOption(OptionConstants.FILE_LOCATION));
return cLine;
}
private List<Option> getRegularOptions() {
List<Option> options = getAllOptions();
options.removeAll(getNonRegularOptions());
return options;
}
private List<Option> getAllOptions() {
List<Option> options = new ArrayList<Option>();
for (OptionBox optionBox : optionBoxes.values()) {
options.add(optionBox.getOption());
}
return options;
}
private List<Option> getNonRegularOptions() {
OptionConstants[] nonRegular = {
OptionConstants.BUCKET,
OptionConstants.FILE_LOCATION,
OptionConstants.TEST,
OptionConstants.EXECUTABLE,
OptionConstants.MOUNT_LOCATION
};
List<Option> options = new ArrayList<Option>();
for (OptionConstants c : nonRegular) {
options.add(getOption(c));
}
return options;
}
private CommandThread buildCommandThread(CommandLine cLine) {
GUIInteractiveCommand command = new GUIInteractiveCommand(cLine, console);
command.addComponentsToEnable(enableOnConnect);
command.addComponentsToDisable(disableOnConnect);
if (isMountLocationSet()) {
command.addComponentToEnable(mountButton);
}
return command;
}
private boolean isMountLocationSet() {
String mountLocation = getValue(OptionConstants.MOUNT_LOCATION);
return !mountLocation.equals("");
}
private void initPiggyBack(CommandThread command) {
PiggyBack piggyBack = new PiggyBack();
piggyBack.setConsole(console);
command.setNextLink(piggyBack);
}
For C#, I say "if" is just a word, while "if(" is code - a space after "if", "for", "try" etc. doesn't help readability at all, so I think it's better without the space.
Also: Visual Studio> Tools> Options> Text Editor> All Languages> Tabs> KEEP TABS!
If you're a software developer who insists upon using spaces where tabs belong, I'll insist that you're a slob - but whatever - in the end, it's all compiled. On the other hand, if you're a web developer with a bunch of consecutive spaces and other excess whitespace all over your HTML/CSS/JavaScript, then you're either clueless about client-side code, or you just don't give a crap. Client-side code is not compiled (and not compressed with IIS default settings) - pointless whitespace in client-side script is like adding pointless Thread.Sleep() calls in server-side code.
I like to maximize the amount of code that can be seen in a window, so I only use a single blank line between functions, and rarely within. Hopefully your functions are not too long. Looking at your example, I don't like a blank line for an open brace, but I'll have one for a close. Indentation and colorization should suffice to show the structure.