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Defining Programming Standards |
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CHAPTER 9 : Data Usage
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It is not uncommon for programmers to think more in terms of the code processes than the data that it uses, which is not unnatural as they generally spend more time working on the executable code than the data structures. The static nature of data does not, however, mean that it is less important than the code. Indeed, some programs make significant use of data to the point where it may be said that the data is driving the code, rather than the code is using the data. The way data is described and used in a program, even when it is a minor item, is still a major element of style. Unclear data usage can result in code which is very difficult to understand and is consequently liable to error. In keeping with the focus of this book, this chapter focuses on the usage of the basic data elements of the language, rather than straying into the higher levels of describing various methods of data-based programming.
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