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Oxbow Code
In computer programming, oxbow code refers to fragments of program code that were once needed but which are now never used. Such code is typically formed when a program is modified, either when an item is superseded with a newer version but the old version is not removed, or when an item is removed or replaced, but the item's supporting code is not removed. Such code is normally removed unless sufficiently amusing or educational. Similarly, variables and data structures can be left around after the last code that used them has been removed, though this is more commonly called unused or unreferenced variables. The term is taken by analogy with oxbow lakes which are formed in nature when a bend in a river becomes so pronounced that the water breaks through from before the bend to after it, making the river straight again. When the sides of the new course silt up, a curved lake is left, disconnected from the main stream. Examples (frognash/server/asobj/Global.cpp 1.46 static ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Computer Programming
Computer programming is the process of performing a particular computation (or more generally, accomplishing a specific computing result), usually by designing and building an executable computer program. Programming involves tasks such as analysis, generating algorithms, profiling algorithms' accuracy and resource consumption, and the implementation of algorithms (usually in a chosen programming language, commonly referred to as coding). The source code of a program is written in one or more languages that are intelligible to programmers, rather than machine code, which is directly executed by the central processing unit. The purpose of programming is to find a sequence of instructions that will automate the performance of a task (which can be as complex as an operating system) on a computer, often for solving a given problem. Proficient programming thus usually requires expertise in several different subjects, including knowledge of the application domain, specialized algori ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Unreferenced Variable
An unreferenced variable in the source code of a computer program is a variable that is defined but which is never used. This may result in a harmless waste of memory. Many compiler In computing, a compiler is a computer program that translates computer code written in one programming language (the ''source'' language) into another language (the ''target'' language). The name "compiler" is primarily used for programs that ...s detect such variables and do not allocate storage for them (i.e., "optimize away" their storage), generally also issuing a warning as they do. Some coding guideline documents consider an unreferenced variable to be a symptom of a potential coding fault. On the other hand, unreferenced variables can be used as temporary placeholders to indicate further expected future developments in the code. Examples C: int main(void) In this example, j is an unreferenced variable. References Variable (computer science) {{Compu-prog-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oxbow Lake
An oxbow lake is a U-shaped lake or pool that forms when a wide meander of a river is cut off, creating a free-standing body of water. In South Texas, oxbows left by the Rio Grande are called '' resacas''. In Australia, oxbow lakes are called billabongs. The word "oxbow" can also refer to a U-shaped bend in a river or stream, whether or not it is cut off from the main stream. Geology An oxbow lake forms when a meandering river erodes through the neck of one of its meanders. This takes place because meanders tend to grow and become more curved over time. The river then follows a shorter course that bypasses the meander. The entrances to the abandoned meander eventually silt up, forming an oxbow lake. Because oxbow lakes are stillwater lakes, with no current flowing through them, the entire lake gradually silts up, becoming a bog or swamp and then evaporating completely. When a river reaches a low-lying plain, often in its final course to the sea or a lake, it meanders wi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dead Code
The term dead code has multiple definitions. Some use the term to refer to code (i.e. instructions in memory) which can never be executed at run-time. In some areas of computer programming, dead code is a section in the source code of a program which is executed but whose result is never used in any other computation. The execution of dead code wastes computation time and memory. While the result of a dead computation may never be used, it may raise exceptions or affect some global state, thus removal of such code may change the output of the program and introduce unintended bugs. Compiler optimizations are typically conservative in their approach to dead-code removal if there is any ambiguity as to whether removal of the dead code will affect the program output. The programmer may aid the compiler in this matter by making additional use of static and/or inline functions and enabling the use of link-time optimization. Example int foo (int iX, int iY) In the above example, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Unreachable Code
In computer programming, unreachable code is part of the source code of a program which can never be executed because there exists no control flow path to the code from the rest of the program. Unreachable code is sometimes also called ''dead code'', although dead code may also refer to code that is executed but has no effect on the output of a program. Unreachable code is generally considered undesirable for several reasons: * It uses memory unnecessarily * It can cause unnecessary use of the CPU's instruction cache ** This can also decrease data locality * Time and effort may be spent testing, maintaining and documenting code which is never used ** Sometimes an automated test is the only thing using the code. However, unreachable code can have some legitimate uses, like providing a library of functions for calling or jumping to manually via a debugger while the program is halted after a breakpoint. This is particularly useful for examining and pretty-printing the internal state ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
