The Weird and The Wonderful

The Weird and The Wonderful forum is a place to post Coding Horrors, Worst Practices, and the occasional flash of brilliance.

We all come across code that simply boggles the mind. Lazy kludges, embarrassing mistakes, horrid workarounds and developers just not quite getting it. And then somedays we come across - or write - the truly sublime.

Post your Best, your worst, and your most interesting. But please - no programming questions . This forum is purely for amusement and discussions on code snippets. All actual programming questions will be removed.

Re: How do you like your nulls

Robert Hoffmann8-Dec-12 23:55

Robert Hoffmann

8-Dec-12 23:55

I understand your logic, but User can be null.

But either way turned ToString in this situation is also completely redundant because IsNullOrEmpty already does 2 specific checks. Is the item null, or is the item an empty string.

So the correct code, without triggering a NullReferenceException should have been
if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(User)) {

}

Thumbs Up | :thumbsup:

Re: How do you like your nulls

lewax009-Dec-12 0:35

lewax00

9-Dec-12 0:35

Oh is User a string? If so I get it now...

Re: How do you like your nulls

Robert Hoffmann9-Dec-12 9:39

Robert Hoffmann

9-Dec-12 9:39

Yeah it's a string and probably read UserName originally. Sorry for the confusion $Shucks | :-\$

Re: How do you like your nulls

patbob10-Dec-12 5:32

patbob

10-Dec-12 5:32

Calling ToString() on a string is totally unexpected. Perfectly valid code, but I'd wonder about the programmer who wrote it.

How that line ever got written in the first place made a lot more sense when I was thinking User wasn't a string -- you can't pass a non-string to IsNullOrEmpty(). Still broke, but I can see someone making such a mistake if in a hurry. Any chance it wasn't a string at one time?

We can program with only 1's, but if all you've got are zeros, you've got nothing.

Re: How do you like your nulls

Tomz_KV10-Dec-12 2:28

Tomz_KV

10-Dec-12 2:28

You are correct. That is the existing implementation (or null handling). In my opinion, it would be nice to allow the conversion (.ToString()) from null to an empty string. When something is nothing (null), it is logical to think it is an empty in terms of a string. However, this ertainly not applicable to other data types.

TOMZ_KV

Re: How do you like your nulls

Brisingr Aerowing10-Dec-12 9:17

Brisingr Aerowing

10-Dec-12 9:17

True. That would be useful.

Bob Dole
The internet is a great way to get on the net.

2.0.82.7292 SP6a

Re: How do you like your nulls

Eddy Vluggen10-Dec-12 14:26

Eddy Vluggen

10-Dec-12 14:26

Zac Greve wrote:
ToString is an instance method

Replace it with an extension-method Smile | :)

Bastard Programmer from Hell Suspicious | :suss:

If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^]
They hate us for our freedom![^]

Re: How do you like your nulls

BobJanova9-Dec-12 22:49

BobJanova

9-Dec-12 22:49

Returning null from a ToString would be worthy of a WTF of its own.

Re: How do you like your nulls

RafagaX10-Dec-12 5:28

RafagaX

10-Dec-12 5:28

i prefer:

if(User != null && User.ToString() != "")

CEO at:
- Rafaga Systems
- Para Facturas
- Modern Components
for the moment...

Re: How do you like your nulls

Jibesh12-Dec-12 22:35

Jibesh

12-Dec-12 22:35

how about this.

if( User != null && User.Length != 0) is better than checking for empty string ??? Roll eyes | :rolleyes:

Jibesh.V.P
India

Re: How do you like your nulls

RafagaX13-Dec-12 4:30

RafagaX

13-Dec-12 4:30

Why didn't i though it?

CEO at:
- Rafaga Systems
- Para Facturas
- Modern Components
for the moment...

Re: How do you like your nulls

AspDotNetDev10-Dec-12 6:35

AspDotNetDev

10-Dec-12 6:35

Maybe they have CDO?

if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(User.ToString().ToString().ToString().ToString())) {
  // OK, now I can be sure it's a string. It's a string. A string. String.
}

Thou mewling ill-breeding pignut!

Re: How do you like your nulls

Brisingr Aerowing10-Dec-12 9:18

Brisingr Aerowing

10-Dec-12 9:18

CDO. It's like OCD, just in alphabetical order like it should be!

Bob Dole
The internet is a great way to get on the net.

2.0.82.7292 SP6a

Re: How do you like your nulls

Florin Jurcovici11-Dec-12 10:18

Florin Jurcovici

11-Dec-12 10:18

I like my nulls to be null objects.

Count the horrors

Jörgen Andersson6-Dec-12 22:37

Jörgen Andersson

6-Dec-12 22:37

 Select Case dataSetNPReport1.Spider.Rows.Count
            Case 0
                xrRichText1.Text = String.Format("Fråga {0}Landsting{0}Riket{0}Frågetext{1}A3{0}{0}{0}{0} -  - {0} - {0}{0} - ", Chr(9), Chr(13))
            Case 1
                xrRichText1.Text = String.Format("Fråga {0}Landsting{0}Riket{0}Frågetext{1}{2}{0}{4}{0}{0}{5}{0}{3}", Chr(9), Chr(13), dataSetNPReport1.Spider.Rows(0).Item(0), Replace(dataSetNPReport1.Spider.Rows(0).Item(2).ToString, "*", ""), dataSetNPReport1.Spider.Rows(0).Item(5), dataSetNPReport1.Spider.Rows(0).Item(6))
            Case 2
                xrRichText1.Text = String.Format("Fråga {0}Landsting{0}Riket{0}Frågetext{1}{2}{0}{4}{0}{0}{5}{0}{3}{1}{6}{0}{8}{0}{0}{9}{0}{7}", Chr(9), Chr(13), dataSetNPReport1.Spider.Rows(0).Item(0), Replace(dataSetNPReport1.Spider.Rows(0).Item(2).ToString, "*", ""), dataSetNPReport1.Spider.Rows(0).Item(5), dataSetNPReport1.Spider.Rows(0).Item(6), dataSetNPReport1.Spider.Rows(1).Item(0), Replace(dataSetNPReport1.Spider.Rows(1).Item(2).ToString, "*", ""), dataSetNPReport1.Spider.Rows(1).Item(5), dataSetNPReport1.Spider.Rows(1).Item(6))
            Case 3
                xrRichText1.Text = String.Format("Fråga {0}Landsting{0}Riket{0}Frågetext{1}{2}{0}{4}{0}{0}{5}{0}{3}{1}{6}{0}{8}{0}{0}{9}{0}{7}{1}{10}{0}{12}{0}{0}{13}{0}{11}", Chr(9), Chr(13), dataSetNPReport1.Spider.Rows(0).Item(0), Replace(dataSetNPReport1.Spider.Rows(0).Item(2).ToString, "*", ""), dataSetNPReport1.Spider.Rows(0).Item(5), dataSetNPReport1.Spider.Rows(0).Item(6), dataSetNPReport1.Spider.Rows(1).Item(0), Replace(dataSetNPReport1.Spider.Rows(1).Item(2).ToString, "*", ""), dataSetNPReport1.Spider.Rows(1).Item(5), dataSetNPReport1.Spider.Rows(1).Item(6), dataSetNPReport1.Spider.Rows(2).Item(0), Replace(dataSetNPReport1.Spider.Rows(2).Item(2).ToString, "*", ""), dataSetNPReport1.Spider.Rows(2).Item(5), dataSetNPReport1.Spider.Rows(2).Item(6))
...

You get the pattern...

People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.

Re: Count the horrors

OriginalGriff8-Dec-12 4:38

OriginalGriff

8-Dec-12 4:38

I think I threw up in my mouth, a little.

If you get an email telling you that you can catch Swine Flu from tinned pork then just delete it. It's Spam.

Q: What is the sound of one value coalescing?

PIEBALDconsult6-Dec-12 8:04

PIEBALDconsult

6-Dec-12 8:04

A: It goes BOOM!

<context>SQL Server 2008 R2

I was just altering some of my code to choose betewen two values via COALESCE. Then I decided I might want to back out the change, but I wanted to leave the existing code in case I wanted to reapply the change later. So I had something like COALESCE ( /* X , */ Y ) Z -- of course, it makes no sense to COALESCE on one value, but I was only going to leave it there momentarily and I don't mind causing errors in order to advance my knowledge of the syntax.

The result is Incorrect syntax near ')'. -- I thought that was an odd message.
I checked the documentation: COALESCE ( expression [ ,...n ] ) -- so the syntax should be legal! WTF | :WTF:

But it also goes on to say that COALESCE is equivalent to a CASE and my attempts at
CASE (WHEN Y IS NOT NULL) THEN Y END Z
CASE ELSE Y END Z
have been unsatisfactory. Sigh | :sigh:

AspDotNetDev5-Dec-12 13:45

AspDotNetDev

5-Dec-12 13:45

Here's a single line from a horribly formatted SQL view (copied verbatim, minus 58 leading spaces):

SQL

WHERE      (MarketingGroupAutoID IN (42))))))) OR

Now that you know the answer (42), we just have to figure out the question. Any theories?

Thou mewling ill-breeding pignut!

Re: 42

Brisingr Aerowing5-Dec-12 14:27

Brisingr Aerowing

5-Dec-12 14:27

The answer to life, the universe, and everything else?

Bob Dole
The internet is a great way to get on the net.

2.0.82.7292 SP6a

Re: 42

PIEBALDconsult5-Dec-12 15:13

PIEBALDconsult

5-Dec-12 15:13

WHERE Head IN (Toilet)

Re: 42

Adam R Harris11-Dec-12 10:13

Adam R Harris

11-Dec-12 10:13

How many roads must a man walk down?

Don't comment your code - it was hard to write, it should be hard to read!

Would you like to buy an IsNull ?

PIEBALDconsult5-Dec-12 8:04

PIEBALDconsult

5-Dec-12 8:04

(SQL Server 2008 R2.)

(CASE WHEN cTT.Total IS NOT NULL THEN cTT.Total ELSE 0 END) as 'Total_Total'

A dozen of these in a view... Sigh | :sigh:

Re: Would you like to buy an IsNull ?

dan!sh 5-Dec-12 8:22

dan!sh

5-Dec-12 8:22

What exactly are they selling? Give me the URL. Please. I would like to buy that Mars rover for null. Smile | :)

"Bastards encourage idiots to use Oracle Forms, Web Forms, Access and a number of other dinky web publishing tolls.", Mycroft Holmes[^]

Re: Would you like to buy an IsNull ?

PIEBALDconsult5-Dec-12 9:31

PIEBALDconsult

5-Dec-12 9:31

I'm sure you can just go pick one up; there's no security around.

Re: Would you like to buy an IsNull ?

AspDotNetDev5-Dec-12 10:07

AspDotNetDev

5-Dec-12 10:07

PIEBALDconsult wrote:
Total_Total

What's the second "total" for? Did the programmer have total recall?

Thou mewling ill-breeding pignut!

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