"Code Smells" in non OO forms...

Question

So, we saw the post on Code Smells and how to fix them...but what about for us NON object oriented folk? I use embedded C a LOT and while all the responses to the said post were great, I wondered if anyone had some input about the straight-C world? Some of the things mentioned in the other post do not apply (and some were even completely opposite) to my world... What do you guys think?

Answer 1

High Cyclomatic Complexity still applies. A function with a high cyclomatic complexity is a sign that the code is too complex and likely to have bugs and that bug fixes are likely to have bugs!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclomatic_complexity

Edit: Source Monitor is an excellent tool for gathering Cyclomatic Complexity. http://www.campwoodsw.com/sourcemonitor.html

Answer 2

goto

using non secure versions of functions

code files with over 2000 lines of code

Answer 3

How about Tail Call Optimization:

    int bar(int a)
 {
     printf("bar called with arg %d\n", a);
     return a * a;
 }

 int foo(int b)
 {
     return bar(b * b);
 }

Answer 4

Deeply nested control structures (ifs inside switches inside loops and so on) usually mean it's time for a good refactoring session.

Answer 5

functions that take a gazillion of arguments always smell..

Answer 6

large functions (with more than 200 lines of code, or more than one screenful, pick something)

Answer 7

function calls using post/prefix increment - foo(i++)/foo(++i).

This can lead to undefined behavior - foo(i++, i)

Answer 8

use of Magic Numbers!

foo = 75;
vs.
foo = MAX_STRING_LEN;

Answer 9

unhelpful variable names

i,j,k as loop variables are ok, but what does this do:

tt = (a * st) * ct;
t = a + tt;

The following should be clear to everyone:

total_tax_amout = (amount * state_tax_rate) * county_tax_rate;
total = amount + total_tax_amount;

It's almost self-documenting code! :)

Answer 10

Here's a really bad smell: defining macros to replace the basic syntax of the language, like

#define BEGIN {
#define END   }

Don't laugh! I had a programmer at my first job who was very proud of having made his C code look like Modula-2.