Chapter 2: Problem 28

What are three advantages of using named constants?

Short Answer

Expert verified

Answer: The three advantages of using named constants in programming are improved readability and maintenance, elimination of magic numbers, and better compiler optimization. Named constants make the code easier to understand and modify, reduce errors from unexplained numerical values, and allow for faster and more efficient code execution due to compiler optimization.

Step by step solution

1. Readability and Maintenance

The first advantage of using named constants is improved readability and ease of maintenance in the code. By using descriptive names for constants, it becomes easier to understand what a certain value represents and what it is used for. It also allows for simpler modifications and adjustments in the future, since changing the value of a constant can be done in one place, as opposed to changing it everywhere it appears in the code.

2. Elimination of Magic Numbers

The second advantage is the elimination of "magic numbers" in the code. Magic numbers are unexplained numerical values that appear in the code without any context or explanation. Using named constants for these values makes the code more self-explanatory and less prone to errors. It also prevents accidentally using incorrect values or duplicating the same value in different parts of the code, which could lead to bugs and inconsistencies.

3. Compiler Optimization

The third advantage of using named constants is that they allow for better compiler optimization. When the constant values are explicitly specified, the compiler can optimize for these values during the compilation process, leading to potentially faster and more efficient code execution. In some cases, this may lead to significant performance improvements, especially in situations where computational efficiency is critical.

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What are three advantages of using named constants?

Short Answer

Step by step solution

1. Readability and Maintenance

2. Elimination of Magic Numbers

3. Compiler Optimization

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