Editing 156: Commented

{{comic
| number    = 156
| date      = September 13, 2006
| title     = Commented
| image     = commented.png
| titletext = Your IDE's color may vary.
}}

==Explanation==
When [[Cueball]] asks [[Black Hat]] for a favor, he seems to be making a {{w|Obscene gesture|rude gesture}}, by lifting {{w|The finger|a finger}} towards Cueball. However, the word he says, ''Commented!'', does not seem to fit with the shorter {{w|Fuck#Modern_usage|four letter word}} usually combined with such a gesture. 

Cueball also fails to understand this, but as it turns out, as the panels move around Black Hat and zooms in on his fingers, he is not making this rude gesture, but is instead actually lifting two fingers toward [[Cueball]], forming a double slash and thereby ignoring both him and his question for a favor, by commenting him out programming style, even to the point where Black Hat sees the commenting out slashes, Cueball, and anything he says in the color for ignored parts of the program (or real world in this case).

In certain {{w|Programming language|programming languages}} (including but not limited to C (since C99), C++, C#, Java, Javascript, PHP, and Scala), inserting a double slash (<code>//</code>) in a line marks everything after the double slash in the line as a "{{w|Comment (computer programming)|comment}}," i.e. something for humans to read that generally helps them understand the code better, rather than something for the computer to execute. Since all comment lines are ignored when a program is run or compiled, it is possible to simply put a double slash in front of any line of code to skip that line. This is known as "commenting out" the line. For example:

 printf("This line of code will be compiled and executed.");
 <font color="green">//printf("This line of code will be ignored, because it has been 'commented-out' by the two slashes.");</font>

An {{w|Integrated development environment|Integrated Development Environment}} (IDE for short) is an application that programmers use to write, compile, execute, and debug code. Many IDEs color-code text to make reading the code easier. In IDEs like Eclipse and Microsoft Visual Studio, a line that is commented out will be colored green; however, the color may vary depending on which IDE you use, and can usually also be customized. The title text refers to this variation among IDEs' color schemes.
<!--Similarly, it is possible to hide comments in wiki surroundings.-->

==Transcript==
:[Cueball calls out to and Black Hat while they are some distance apart as seen from the side. Black Hat is holding an arm out towards Cueball making a gesture and speaking one word.]
:Cueball: Hey, can you do me a favor?
:Black Hat: Commented!

:[The same setting seen from behind Black Hat with Cueball drawn much smaller in the background.]
:Cueball: Huh?

:[Black Hat's hand is shown in close up. He is holding his first and second fingers parallel and at an angle towards the "small" Cueball to the left of the hand. The two fingers, as well as Cueball and his next line, are green.]
:<font color="green">Cueball: Wait, what does that gesture even mean?</font color>

{{Comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics with color]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Black Hat]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Programming]]