[llvm-dev] Coding standards: duplicating method comments?

[Matthias Braun via llvm-dev]

> On Jan 30, 2018, at 11:56 AM, Alex Bradbury via llvm-dev <llvm-dev at lists.llvm.org> wrote:
> 
> A quick coding standards question. The current coding standards doc
> has helpful guidance on Doxygen comments and the like:
> https://llvm.org/docs/CodingStandards.html#source-code-formatting
> 
> One aspect which isn't explicit is the policy on duplicating code
> comments for subclasses. To modify an example from that doc:
> 
> """
> // In Something.h:
> 
> /// An abstraction for some complicated thing.
> class Something {
> public:
>  /// Does foo and bar.
>  virtual void fooBar();
> };
> """
> 
> Suppose we define TargetSomething.h, and give the same comment for fooBar there:
> """
> class TargetSomething : public Something {
> public:
>  /// Does foo and bar.
>  void fooBar() override;
> };
> """
> 
> Is this bad style? It seems the current codebase is inconsistent on
> this point. The upside of such duplication is that it reduces the need
> to cross-reference to other files when using a dumb editor. The
> disadvantage is that duplicated comments add maintenance burden just
> like duplicated code.
I usually just don't comment overrides.

If you really want to you could probably use
/// \copydoc Something::fooBar()

- Matthias