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Use symbols, rather than raw values, to represent arbitrary constant values. A well-named symbol adds clarity to the program's source code by conveying the meaning of a constant. Using symbolic constants also simplifies maintenance and promotes portability by providing a single change point. Although some constants represent values that never change, many constants represent arbitrary implementation decisions, such as buffer sizes, that are subject to change. If you use a symbol to represent a constant value, you can change the value throughout the program by changing the symbol definition (the single change point) and rebuilding the program \[[Saks 02|AA. C References#Saks 02]\]. |
Avoid the use of magic numbers in code when possible. Magic numbers are constant values that represent either an arbitrary value (such as a determined appropriate buffer size) or a malleable concept (such as the age a person is considered an adult, which could change between geopolitical boundaries). Rather, use appropriately named symbolic constants to clarify the intent of the code. In addition, if a specific value needs to be changed, reassigning a symbolic constant once is more efficient and less error prone than replacing every instance of the value.
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