Need opinions about using methods in-line

Question

Hello fellow SDNers,
I have this piece of code where i use functional method as operand, string formatting options in-line et al. A friend of mine says it's not too descriptive.
  cl_demo_output=>display_text( |Laufzeit: { lcl_calc_laufzeit=>main(
                                                 im_date_from = p_begda
                                                 im_date_to   = p_endda )-count ALIGN = LEFT } Monat(e)| ).
Is Too-little is just too confusing?
I like in-line data declarations, functional methods because i feel they are more intuitive.
What are your ideas/opinions about it?
BR,
Suhas

Answer 1

Hi Suhas,
when i was starting with C-programming, i was impressed by what you could achieve with just so little of actual coding.
I thougt it was quite cool, when I managed to squeeze whole programs into just a few lines, using heavily nested ternary operators and for-loops.
Well, they did what they where meant to do, but when after a while i had to alter one only gradually, it took me some time to rethink, what i myself had created not so long ago.
Imagining how someone else would try to follow my line of thought, i came to the conclusion, that it was not so desireable, to squeeze the last bit of efficiency out of the characters that built the source-code, but that it could be far better, to enfold it, make it bigger, even less elegant, but allthemore easier to understand.
Why do i tell you this?
I seem to recognize a bit of the fascination, i felt myself, in your code sample. Letting you beeing carried away by possibility alone, does not necessarily lead to the best results on the long run.
Back to your question - i'm afraid, your friend was right.
You can do better, without loosing to much.
Truth be told, i haven't done too much in the line of string templates and nested method calls yet.
I have to admit, i'm challenged even to follow, what your sample exactly does. Nevertheless, i will dig in and discover whatever it may provide for me .
Best regards - Jörg