So it looks like we're pretty much all in agreement with 1-line and >=3 line comments. My only real concern is if "--ignore BLOCK_COMMENT_STYLE" in the patch removes the check for the long comments, though I confess to being ignorant of how checkpatch works.

To chip in my own $0.02 on the 2-line comment discussion: IMO they should use the same form as 1-line comments so that we have exactly one form for short comments one form for long comments.


On Fri, Aug 26, 2016 at 2:40 PM, Nico Huber <nico.h@gmx.de> wrote:
On 26.08.2016 17:56, Vadim Bendebury wrote:
> I actually tend to agree with Julius that it does not make sense to waste 4
> lines for a two line comment.  So, ideally the tool should be enforcing the
> verbose style for comments longer than say 2 lines.

Well, I too prefer the concise style for shorter comments. But I
wouldn't enforce a number of lines. Maybe just say it's allowed for
single-paragraph comments?

And thanks, Julius, for bringing up the readability. This is what we
should focus on. Actually I think a verbose-style comment shouldn't be
allowed between code lines. That's something for longer explanations
like a function description.

But I'm really with Linus when it comes to the leading, single asterisk.
It looks totally weird, IMHO

  /* A small, concise comment
     that doesn't fit a single line */

is easier for the eye than

  /* A small, concise comment
   * that doesn't fit a single line */

where your eyes somehow stick on the asterisk first and then have to
search for the real start of the line.

I wouldn't go as far as changing current code, but enforcing a style
(we can agree on) for new code might prevent future discussions.

Nico



--
David Hendricks (dhendrix)
Systems Software Engineer, Google Inc.