Re: [xsl] How to never make mistakes when coding?

["Alan Painter alan.painter@xxxxxxxxx" <xsl-list-service@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

There is a foolproof way to avoid errors in code.

Write no code.

The frogs have a dictum, roughly: "Only people who do nothing make no
mistakes."

I personally adhere to the notion that keeping code clean and
understandable makes it easier to avoid errors. Keep technical debt to a
minimum.

On Sun, Mar 2, 2025, 06:44 Joel Kalvesmaki director@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <
xsl-list-service@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> I assume that when I write code, I will make mistakes and lots of them.
> I define mistakes as any discrepancy between what I mean versus what I
> say.
>
> When you write code you always say what you say. That's inevitable. But
> we don't always say what we mean. And it's critically important we find
> ways to express our intent.
>
> Whenever I write an XSLT function or template mode, my first order of
> business is to write lines of comment that express in regular prose what
> I'm expecting in input, and what I'm expecting in my output, and a
> description of edge cases, plus examples of input + output.
>
> Next, whenever I run into an XPath construct like the one you mentioned,
> I bind it to a variable, whose name expresses my intention. Something
> like
> <xsl:variable name="post-initial-chapters"
> select="//book/chapter[position() ge 1]"/>
> In that construct it's much easier to identify my typo, because it's
> bound to the variable name. Well, if it is "post-initial" how could it
> ever be value 1? No guarantee I'll catch the problem, but almost always
> it's easier to find the mistake later.
>
> Finally, as I write something I also develop a regression test library.
> You can use XProc, Schematron, and a variety of technologies to do this,
> really depends on the applications. But set these test suites up to
> express your intentions. When a validation error strikes, those
> expressions of intent will help you diagnose.
>
> I was once a music major, with a passionate interest in composition. My
> music theory professor told us all (now deeply engraved on my heart),
> "There are are only two types of people who write music in ink. Fools
> and geniuses."
>
> It behooves us to code in pencil.
>
> > How to avoid making mistakes? Is it even possible?
>
> Joel
> --
> Joel Kalvesmaki
> Director, Text Alignment Network
> http://textalign.net