Can you add too many comments?

[A_G]

One of my customers had a plc program where the previous PLC programmer wrote something offensive/inappropriate in the comments, don't forget that some customers or future programmers may read the comments and not everyone has the same sense of humor

 

[robertmee]

One of my customers had a plc program where the previous PLC programmer wrote something offensive/inappropriate in the comments, don't forget that some customers or future programmers may read the comments and not everyone has the same sense of humor

I 'knew a guy' that would do this in HMI alarms. Might never be seen if that particular alarm never happened.

 

[I_Automation]

I 'knew a guy' that would do this in HMI alarms. Might never be seen if that particular alarm never happened.

I have a few non-standard alarms I put in HMIs - but I have only called the first one once in a project I did no-charge for a friend


OMG! WTF Did You Do?


You Can't Do That!

You Better Talk To Your Supervisor First!


Self-Destruct Initiated! RUN!!


I also add a few alarms at high values that basically are a copyright notice: ©date/name, name, phone, email, website, Built For xxxx, etc and on power-up I flash the copyright alarm for 30 seconds

 

[TheWaterboy]

When I wrote it only God and I knew how it worked... Now only God knows.

 

[Rsflipflop256]

Documentation is important across all the platforms we tread, the QUALITY and how concisely written is the responsibility of the programmer. A bit of a glass houses and stones situation.

If it's up to date, well organized and easy to navigate and understand, then there really isn't a celing after that. imho

 

[TheWaterboy]

Now that comments are embedded in the A/B PLC's the file size might become an issue...

 

[I_Automation]

When I wrote it only God and I knew how it worked... Now only God knows.

And imagine what he's thinking about it right now and waiting to ask you about

 

[TheWaterboy]

And imagine what he's thinking about it right now and waiting to ask you about

That's OK, I have some questions as well ...

 

[cidchase]

That's OK, I have some questions as well ...

This

 

[James Mcquade]

Let us all remember why we comment.
the one who writes the program knows what is going on and how the program works. What about 5 years later and who knows how many jobs later?

Most importantly, MAINTENANCE
programs with good comment that tell the maintenance guy what is going on and written in an orderly manner is priceless! when you also add good maintenance manuals and cad drawings that match the program (i also include the manufacturer and part number on the i/o), most will bend over backwards to fix the issue before calling you at 2 am.

james

 

[I_Automation]

Let us all remember why we comment.
the one who writes the program knows what is going on and how the program works. What about 5 years later and who knows how many jobs later?

+1 on this.


I had a customer call me to a machine I have never seen or worked on before - except when I went online it was my PLC program with my copyright on the rung 0 comment and my standards for file and data structuring. Then checking the schematic every page had my logo and my initials in Drawn By.


I still have no recollection of building that machine, or any machine like it - it was a one-off custom assembly machine I designed and built.


Plus all the other PLC's I have programmed I can't open 5 years (ones from 1995 are now 28 years) later and remember what I was doing without reading the comments.

 

[LegacyLee]

IMO, there can be too many comments. Writing a paragraph about each rung, function or whatever the language is annoying to read, doesn't get maintained when changes are made and misleads the reader. I use very few comments if any when I have a solid P&ID. Name the tags with a consistent prefix followed by the P&ID identifier and perhaps a suffix that indicates the data type. You can do most of your coding in a spreadsheet with this method.
Too many comments are bad!!!