Whenever I have a list of items, if there is no other better order for them, I arrange them in alphabetical order. Arbitrary lists have a way of getting large and unweildy over time, but if they are kept in alphabetical order, you can find the entries and spot omissions easier.
If there is a better ordering, then certainly use it. But keeping arbitrary lists alphabetized has two advantages: first, they are easier to use because you can find entries quicker. Second, it is a signal to the reader that the list is in fact in an arbitrary order.
1 comment:
Huge +1 from me. I wish this is something that more code formatters supported. (With some explicit marking that this list can be reordered).
> If there is a better ordering, then certainly use it.
This is true but I also find that people tent to find a better ordering when there really isn't. Such as trying to order API routes by the order they will be hit (ok, the user creates and account first, then authenticates, then views the homepage). So many of these orderings tend to get less clear over time and I just wish people stuck to alphabetical unless there was a *very* clear other ordering that is stable over time.
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