Arguments for [arguments]

Question

Back Story

I created arguments for this question: Is it possible to write reusable method that only some of its parameters are different? It has since been brought up that this may not be a good tag. I am here to present my arguments for arguments and get the community's feedback on the matter.

Use Cases

I feel this tag should be used when the question directly relates to the proper use of arguments/parameters. It should not be used for a question simply because an argument is used. To clarify, these would be good uses of the tag:

• Handling null arguments in a factory class
• Is it possible to write reusable method that only some of its parameters are different?
• Arguments in constructors matching fields

And these would be a poor use of the tag:

• Transformation of abstract models
• Calculation of prime numbers making use of Parallel.ForEach

Note that the questions I called out as a bad use of the tag simply make mention of, or use arguments. The questions are not about arguments. All questions came from this list of candidate questions for the arguments tag.

Precedent

There is already a precedent for using tags for questions about particular programming constructs. Here is an non-exhaustive list.

• conditions
• loop
• casting
• collections
• array
• constants
• constructor

Closing Argument

Tags are not just for labeling a question with what technologies it uses. They are not just for connecting experts to questions. I'll admit, it would be difficult for a person to be considered an expert on arguments, but I never felt that was a compelling argument against a tag anyway. This is because tags are for categorizing questions. They're for making questions easier to search and filter. They're for helping us understand what a question is about at a glance. I think, if properly used, an argument tag would fill that role nicely.

So, yea or nay?

Answer 1

Apologies for the tardy reply... but:

NO

this is a bad tag, and it should not exist on Code Review.

Arguments vs. Parameters

For a start, what you're talking about are not arguments, but parameters.

Parameters are named variables that are part of a method declaration/signature. Arguments are the actual values that are passed in to the parameters of a method. So, for example,

myMethod(MyClass val) { ... }

MyClass tmp = new MyClass();

myMethod(tmp);

in the above, myMethod is the method. val is the parameter, and tmp is the argument.

In your question, you are calling the parameters "arguments".

So, apart from that, let's consider the tag: parameters.

Do we need that?

[Parameters]: Useful?

NO, and the first reason is that none of the examples you present are going to be usefully tagged with it:

• Handling null arguments in a factory class - this would be better tagged as validation
• Is it possible to write reusable method that only some of its parameters are different? - interesting one. The question is poor, because it is not actually about the one method, but it is about many methods, and about DRY coding. The question is about reusing code in the method, and not changing the parameters of any one method.
• Arguments in constructors matching fields - this question is old, and would be closed if asked now, it's example code, and it's a lousy, opinionated question.

The only time I can think of the parameters tag would be useful, is when the code itself is processing parameters in a general way, like reflection, or a compiler. I can see a use then.

If we allow parameters to exist as a tag for questions wondering whether the parameters are "OK", then we should also have tags:

• variables
• methods
• classes
• ifs
• keywords
• whitespace
• ... you get the idea....

Tags should represent aspects about the code, whether it is the language, or what the code DOES, and tags are not there to reflect the concerns the person has about the code.

That's what the description is for.

Answer 2

Upvote this if you think that this duck makes a good argument for the tag.

Answer 3

Upvote this if you would rather not see this tag created. You may also wish to post an answer of your own with your reasoning.