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Comment by dwaltrip | Hacker News Reader

> If you are putting "magic numbers" anywhere, COMMENT it as to what that number is, why you chose it, etc.

Better yet, turn magic numbers into constant variables whose name becomes the comment. Of course, comments can also provide additional context :)

Agree. I also add to this - name your constants by meaning, not value. Too many times I see

    const ONE_HOUR_IN_MS = 3600000

Instead I would like to see

    const RESEND_DELAY = 3600000

Better yet:

    const ONE_HOUR_IN_MS = 3600000
    const RESEND_DELAY = ONE_HOUR_IN_MS

I don't get why this is better. My approach:

const RESEND_DELAY_MS = 3600000; // because TTL in Agora

I've used stuff like this to do:

const ONE_HOUR = 3600000;

const RESEND_DELAY_MS = 2.5 * ONE_HOUR; // because TTL in Agora

IMO it makes it easier for successor to fiddle with.

I would even go for

const RESEND_DELAY_MS = 3600*1000; // because TTL in Agora

Easier to check for the right number of zeros

Yes full agree

I like to combine those:

    const RESEND_DELAY_MS = ONE_HOUR_IN_MS;

Having the unit in the name saved me more than once and having non-contextual constants for sizes increases readability imo.

I do this instead:

    const RESEND_DELAY_MS = 1 * 60 * 60 * 1000;  // one hour

Essentially the same, but the lack of extra variable spares one jump. Also you can change it without introducing a new variable (no dependency).