Implement and Standardize Code Commenting Guidelines

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Effective commenting is essential for maintaining clarity and collaboration in the project. This issue focuses on adding consistent, meaningful comments to the codebase and establishing guidelines for future development.

Tasks

• Establish Commenting Guidelines
  • Define a standard style for comments, including:
    • File headers.
    • Function/method documentation using tools like PHPDoc.
    • Inline comments for non-obvious or complex logic.
    • Section comments to organize code blocks.
  • Document the commenting standards in a shared guideline for team use.
• Add Comments to Existing Code
  • Review the codebase to:
    • Add file header comments explaining the file's purpose and authorship.
    • Document functions and methods with clear explanations of inputs, outputs, and logic.
    • Add inline comments for complex logic and critical decisions.
  • Ensure all comments are clear, concise, and reflect the current state of the code.
• Validate Comments
  • Review the comments to ensure they:
    • Are meaningful and not redundant.
    • Use proper grammar and spelling.
    • Follow the agreed-upon standards.
• Integrate Commenting into Development Workflow
  • Include a step in code reviews to check for proper commenting.
  • Encourage developers to update comments whenever code is modified.

Examples of Standardized Comments

File Header Comment

/*  
 * File: user_auth.php  
 * Description: Handles user authentication processes.  
 * Author: Class A  
 * Date: November 2024  
 */  

Function Documentation

/**  
 * Sends a welcome email to a new user.  
 *  
 * @param string $email The user's email address.  
 * @return bool True if the email was sent successfully.  
 */  
function sendWelcomeEmail($email) {  
    // Logic here  
}  

Section Header Comment

// ==========================  
// User Authentication Logic  
// ==========================  

Considerations

• Avoid over-commenting or redundant comments that merely repeat what the code does.
• Ensure comments are updated whenever related code is changed.
• Use comments to explain why the code exists, not just what it does (unless the logic is complex).