Ahmed Musallam

Posted on Jan 13, 2019

Do you leave jokes in your code? If so, please share!

#discuss #jokes

Sometimes, I leave bad jokes in my code, here are some examples from a backup tool I built a while back:

When a user tries to delete a backup:

console.log(`Still wanna do it? just checkin'...`)

When trying to remove a backup but something wrong happens:

spinner.fail(`ummm, yeah.. this is awkward; we could't delete the backups for some reason`)

When the user tries to remove a backup, but then cancels at the prompt:

console.log(`Whew, nothing happened. That must feel good, eh?`.green)

When something goes wrong:

spinner.fail('womp womp... some error occurred *rolls eyes*')

Other times, I add a funny* comment to a funky looking piece of code, just because..

I am curious if other devs do it to, do you do anything like that? funny comments? funny method/variable names? or funny messages you show to users? please share!

*Depends on whom you ask ;)

Top comments (54)

TJ Fogarty • Jan 14 '19

Oftentimes, my code is the joke 🤷‍♂️

Harry Dennen • Jan 16 '19

Given a long enough time frame, this becomes true for most code.

Lewis Clarke • Jan 16 '19

relatable

Ben Halpern • Jan 14 '19

I tend to shorten button to butt, which seems clear enough, isn't overly offensive, but makes me chuckle just because I'm writing butt.

And even still I kind of regret not just writing button for clarity. 🙃

Alvaro • Jan 14 '19

I use btn instead.
but I may start using butt from now on

fgiraldi • Jan 16 '19

Be careful on how you use your butt

Patrick Tingen • Jan 14 '19

At one client, they were using a home-grown issue tracking system called Bob, after Bob the Builder. It even had an image of Bob the Builder in the application itself.

As a little joke, I built in a timer that at random times replaced the image of Bob with one where one eye was closed, wich made it look like he was blinking every now and then. It took a week and a half before someone noticed. I had a hard time not to laugh and to keep my face straight, while asking: "what do you mean, Bob is blinking? Are you serious?"

Ahmed Musallam • Jan 14 '19

This is gooood! 😂

Casey Brooks • Jan 14 '19 • Edited

I also love the little gems hidden in the Android codebase

Mihail Malo • Jan 17 '19

What do the latter two actually do?

Casey Brooks • Jan 18 '19

isUserAMonkey() is actually part of a testing utility. A "monkey" user does a bunch of random clicks and stuff trying to detect strange UI states.

The last one was just a joke, but it does check if GoatSimulator is installed

Itachi Uchiha • Jan 14 '19 • Edited

Our software which we use in the office, I leave a code like this:

const err = {
    count: 0
}

const btn = document.querySelector(".js-btn-remove")

btn.addEventListener("click", () => {
    if(err.count == 5) {
                // omg, you can't be serious. you're still trying...
        myFancyMessage({
                   title: 'Leave me alone...',
                   text: [
                      'unhappy',
                      `Don't do this again. You almost kill me. This hurts me.`,
                   ]
                })
        return false;
    }

         myFancyMessage('Warning', 'You are not authorized to remove sales.')        

    // some important codes
    err.count++

})

Frederick Jaime • Jan 14 '19

err.count == 5? how did you come up with this number?

Itachi Uchiha • Jan 14 '19

5 is my favorite number. :P

No, it just an example. I just exemplified the scenario.

Rémi Mercier • Jul 4 '19

This is precious! 😄

jan paul • Jan 14 '19 • Edited

//this should work, but...
//the night is dark and full of errors 
  onCheckBoxChange = (val: string ) => (_e: any) => {

    if (typeof this.props.updatePermission === 'function' && this.props.officerId && this.props.officerId >= 0) {

      this.props.updatePermission(this.props.officerId, {
        ...{ isValidAsPast : this.props.isValidAsPast, isValidAsUpcoming: this.props.isValidAsUpcoming},
        [val] : !this.props[val] } as PermissionPartial 
        ); 
    }
  }

Jason C. McDonald • Jan 16 '19

"The night is dark and full of errors."

How is this not a meme?

Ahmed Musallam • Jan 14 '19

Hahahaha, this great! Might steal that from you ;)

Bruno Sales • Jan 14 '19 • Edited

I never did in products that I've worked, but where I work currently there are internal systems that when it's blocked for maintenance shows the Travolta confused :D And it makes me LOL...

Ahmed Musallam • Jan 14 '19

That’s awesome!

Anton Linevych • Jan 15 '19 • Edited

In the test case:

class OpportunityConnectionMessagesTestCase(APITestCase):

    def setUp(self):
        ...
        self.message_text = 'Last time I cried was when I was cutting Onion. Onion was a good dog.'