Commenting needs to evolve. Currently, programmers are starting to see how antiquated systems without comments can become a potential problem. These comments, whether they are outdated or on-existent can confuse or mislead developers in the future. Therefore, in order to ease the burden on the developers new changes in source code commenting are coming.
This represents another leap in literacy technology. As opposed to merely reading and writing, code developers are starting to work with audio as well. Max Bluvband, of Maxima Blue Ltd designed a system that enables audio comments "to be used when writing and executing code." While it may not be widely implemented, this make it possible for developers to hear and understand the authorial intent of the original code and develop the code properly for the future.
Likewise, we see the rise of auto-documentation as well. This, like audio commenting eases the burden on current developers. It describes version control and gives a picture of what the code is intended to do.
Commenting as an element has a long history of being changed, modified and appropriated for different reasons. However, it was created with the intent of communicating ideas and it has successfully done so throughout its entire history.
As an element, commenting has enabled people to create games within their codes, add pictures and convey what they mean as they wrote their code. It functions as a highly technical tool that has enabled authors to change and write their code in a multitude of ways. Most of all, the comment element represents a piece of history that has changed with the progression of time. It's originally intended functions remain, but it's grown in leaps and bounds.
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