Thread: Multi line quotes used on single lines

Working with other peoples code where they have used quotes in the style of /*,*/ for singles really grates on me e.g.:

print( "Hello World\n" );/*some pointless quote*/

I often want to comment out large blocks of code using /*,*/ but cant because it closes the comment after the first */ it encounters.

Does anyone know of an application to remove theses? or an application which formats a source file based on a template you can design?

try this, copy and paste this in you program and the whole thing will be commented out.

Code:

/* comment one at this point hit enter 
you are now in a new line which is also commented
hitting enter again you are in the 3rd new line*/

Originally Posted by CBUK

Does anyone know of an application to remove theses? or an application which formats a source file based on a template you can design?

you can just use

Code:

#if 0
printf("hello!\n"); /* make sure we are noticed. */
#endif

Got it in 1 sandman, it bugged me so much im writing a program to format code in my style.
Thanks sokra a cleaver little work around. Not a big fan of the pre-processor so tend to avoid it, probably why I didn't think of that.

Here's a utility I wrote at some point. You might find it useful:

Code:

itsme@dreams:~/C$ cat comments.c
#include <stdio.h>
#include <string.h>
#include <errno.h>

int reverse = 0;

int main(int argc, char **argv)
{
  char *filename;
  FILE *fp;
  char buf[4096], buf2[4096], *p;
  int incomment = 0;

  if(argc == 3)
  {
    if(!strcmp(argv[1], "-r"))
      reverse = 1;
    filename = argv[2];
  }
  else if(argc == 2)
    filename = argv[1];
  else
  {
    puts("Usage: comments [-r] <filename>");
    return 1;
  }

  if(!(fp = fopen(filename, "r")))
  {
    perror("fopen()");
    return 1;
  }

  while(fgets(buf, sizeof(buf), fp))
  {
    if(!incomment && (p = strstr(buf, "//")))
    {
      if(reverse)
      {
        strncpy(buf2, buf, p-buf);
        buf2[p-buf] = '\0';
        puts(buf2);
      }
      else
        fputs(p, stdout);

      continue;
    }

    for(p = buf;*p;p++)
    {
      if(incomment)
      {
        if(*p == '*' && *(p+1) == '/')
        {
          p++;
          incomment = 0;

          if(!reverse)
            puts("*/");
        }
        else
        {
          if(!reverse)
            putchar(*p);
        }
      }
      else
      {
        if(*p == '/' && *(p+1) == '*')
        {
          p++;
          incomment = 1;

          if(!reverse)
            fputs("/*", stdout);
        }
        else
        {
          if(reverse)
            putchar(*p);
        }
      }
    }
  }

  fclose(fp);

  return 0;
}

If used on a test file like this:

Code:

#include <stdio.h>

// A hello world program

int main(void)
{
  /* print it */ printf("Hello, world!\n"); /* Done */

  return 0; // return to OS
}

It produces output like this:

Code:

itsme@dreams:~/C$ ./comments test.c
// A hello world program
/* print it */
/* Done */
// return to OS
itsme@dreams:~/C$

Or like this in reverse:

Code:

itsme@dreams:~/C$ ./comments -r test.c
#include <stdio.h>



int main(void)
{
   printf("Hello, world!\n");

  return 0;
}
itsme@dreams:~/C$

You, personally, might find it useful by running it like: comments -r file.c > filenocomments.c

Thanks itsme86, my grumble inspired me to start writing y own until that does something similar to yours. It checks if a '\n' is in a comment in the style of /**/ and if its not removes the training*/ and replaces the opening /* with //.