code police

(By analogy with George Orwell's "Thought Police" in "1984") A

mythical team of Gestapo-like storm troopers that might burst

into one's office and arrest one for violating programming

style rules. May be used either seriously, to underline a

claim that a particular style violation is dangerous, or

ironically, to suggest that the practice under discussion is

condemned mainly by anal-retentive weenies. "Dike out that

goto or the code police will get you!" The ironic usage is

perhaps more common.

[Jargon File]

(1994-12-08)