The Daily WTF: Curious Perversions in Information Technology

Code Dependent · 2009-03-09 Reply Admin

Addison:
At least he put it in a function.

Looks more like a func to me.

rohypnol · 2009-03-09 Reply Admin

This is actually pretty clean, compared to some of my first coding attempts (which were in kindergarten)...

SenTree · 2009-03-09 Reply Admin

Arlen Cuss:
'i' before 'e', except after 'c' ...

weird ...

2009-03-09 Reply Admin

How did I know this was going to be VB?

2009-03-09 Reply Admin

SenTree:
Arlen Cuss:
'i' before 'e', except after 'c' ...
weird ...

Or sounding like 'a' as in "neighbor" or "weigh". Not the most leisurely of rhymes. I think I'm going to have a seizure.

the real wtf fool · 2009-03-09 Reply Admin

Trondster:
Naw - it's much too readable.

I can see some premature optimisations needed:

dim offset as integer
offset = 0
For i = 0 To 12
  Select Case i
    Case 0,4,8
      if i = 8
        formattedPhoneNumber.Append("-")
      else
        formattedPhoneNumber.Append(Chr(40+offset))
      end if
      offset = offset + 1 
    Case Else
      formattedPhoneNumber.Append(cleanPhoneNumber.Chars(i-offset))
  End Select
Next

Quango · 2009-03-09 Reply Admin

Compile error: formattedComment not defined

Error: ToString (method) is used like a property

:-)

Sir Twist · 2009-03-09 Reply Admin

JPSoft batch:

@echo off
do i = 0 to 2
  switch %i
  case 0
    echos W
  case 1
    echos T
  case 2
    echo F
  endswitch
enddo

ContraCorners · 2009-03-09 Reply Admin

Pim:
I want to see what the StripNonNumericCharacters function looks like!

My guess would be something like this...

Public Function StripNonNumericCharacters(ByVal sOrginalPhoneNumber as String) as String

DIM sCleanPhoneNumber

sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sOrginalPhoneNumber,"A","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"B","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"C","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"D","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"E","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"F","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"G","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"H","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"I","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"J","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"K","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"L","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"M","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"N","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"O","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"P","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"Q","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"R","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"S","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"T","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"U","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"V","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"W","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"X","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"Y","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"Z","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"a","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"b","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"c","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"d","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"e","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"f","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"g","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"h","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"i","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"j","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"k","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"l","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"m","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"n","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"o","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"p","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"q","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"r","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"s","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"t","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"u","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"v","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"w","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"x","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"y","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"z","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"`","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"~","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"!","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"@","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"#","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"$","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"%","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"^","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"&","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"*","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"(","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,")","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"_","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"-","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"+","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"=[","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"]","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"\","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"{","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"}","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"|","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,";","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,";","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"""","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"'","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,",.","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"/","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"<","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,">","")
sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber,"?","")

return sCleanPhoneNumber

End Function

Pim · 2009-03-09 Reply Admin

ricecake:
Or sounding like 'a' as in "neighbor" or "weigh". Not the most leisurely of rhymes. I think I'm going to have a seizure.

Yes, the English language has strange grammar policies!

pscs · 2009-03-09 Reply Admin

ricecake:
SenTree:
Arlen Cuss:
'i' before 'e', except after 'c' ...
weird ...
Or sounding like 'a' as in "neighbor" or "weigh". Not the most leisurely of rhymes. I think I'm going to have a seizure.

The most accurate version of the 'i before e' saying is "i before e except where it isn't". Anything else is either going to be unrememberable or wrong.

There are so many exceptions to this "rule", I've never been convinced how useful it is (science, eiderdown, deity, seismic, Keith, caffeine, seeing, ancient, society etc etc etc).

2009-03-09 Reply Admin

some schmoe:
dpm:
Yeah, the code sucks, but at least the length is verified before they try to access all ten digits they expect to be there.
Where does it do that? I only see a check for length = 0, otherwise it assumes all the characters are there. So if cleanPhoneNumber comes back with only 9 chars or less, it will blow up.

Indeed it will blow up. Maybe the function that returns the 'clean' phone number returns an empty string if the number is not in the correct format to begin with. We can only hope!

2009-03-09 Reply Admin

I use for loops for everything! I use for loops for everything! I use for loops for everything! I use for loops for everything!

TwelveBaud · 2009-03-09 Reply Admin

But my phone numbers are +44 (20) 7555-1234 and +881 (7) 5555-1234 !

How will I be able to enter them now?

2009-03-09 Reply Admin

Vollhorst:

            For i = 0 To 12
            Select Case i
                Case 0
                Case 1
                    unformattedPhoneNumber.Append(uncleanPhoneNumber.Chars(1))
                Case 2
                    unformattedPhoneNumber.Append(uncleanPhoneNumber.Chars(2))
                Case 3
                    unformattedPhoneNumber.Append(uncleanPhoneNumber.Chars(3))
                Case 4
                Case 5
                    unformattedPhoneNumber.Append(uncleanPhoneNumber.Chars(5))
                Case 6
                    unformattedPhoneNumber.Append(uncleanPhoneNumber.Chars(6))
                Case 7
                    unformattedPhoneNumber.Append(uncleanPhoneNumber.Chars(7))
                Case 8
                Case 9
                    unformattedPhoneNumber.Append(uncleanPhoneNumber.Chars(9))
                Case 10
                    unformattedPhoneNumber.Append(uncleanPhoneNumber.Chars(10))
                Case 11
                    unformattedPhoneNumber.Append(uncleanPhoneNumber.Chars(11))
                Case 12
                    unformattedPhoneNumber.Append(uncleanPhoneNumber.Chars(12))

            End Select

        Next

Obvious, isn't it?

Clear as water...

campkev · 2009-03-09 Reply Admin

pscs:
ricecake:
SenTree:
Arlen Cuss:
'i' before 'e', except after 'c' ...
weird ...
Or sounding like 'a' as in "neighbor" or "weigh". Not the most leisurely of rhymes. I think I'm going to have a seizure.

The most accurate version of the 'i before e' saying is "i before e except where it isn't". Anything else is either going to be unrememberable or wrong.

There are so many exceptions to this "rule", I've never been convinced how useful it is (science, eiderdown, deity, seismic, Keith, caffeine, seeing, ancient, society etc etc etc).

While I agree with you that the rule is almost useless, some of your examples are kind of WTF themselves. The rule is only meant for situations where the i and the e make a single sound. In science, society, deity and seeing, the i and the e are part of different syllables. Also, eider is Swedish, so you can hardly expect an English grammar rule to apply.

2009-03-09 Reply Admin

At least it uses stringbuilder, and doesn't use &=. Too bad he didn't go two down in intellisense...

formattedPhoneNumber.AppendFormat("({0}) {1}-{2}", cleanPhoneNumber.Substring(0, 3), cleanPhoneNumber.Substring(4, 3), cleanPhoneNumber.Substring(7, 4))

Gieron · 2009-03-09 Reply Admin

Reminds me of Duff's device.

Kermos · 2009-03-09 Reply Admin

pscs:
The most accurate version of the 'i before e' saying is "i before e except where it isn't". Anything else is either going to be unrememberable or wrong.
There are so many exceptions to this "rule", I've never been convinced how useful it is (science, eiderdown, deity, seismic, Keith, caffeine, seeing, ancient, society etc etc etc).

Oh yea, English is such a clusterfuck of exceptions that it really is 'exceptional'. I have friends in Taiwan and Japan that I occasionally help with their English studies. Really makes you realize what a mess it all is when you try to explain it to someone and go "WTF..." in your mind. :)

2009-03-09 Reply Admin

Public Shared Function ApplyPhoneNumberFormatting(ByVal phoneNumber As String) As String
    Dim cleanPhoneNumber As String
    
    If phoneNumber Is Nothing Then
        Return String.Empty
    End If

    cleanPhoneNumber = StripNonNumericCharacters(phoneNumber)

    If cleanPhoneNumber.Length = 0 Then
        Return String.Empty
    Else
        Return "(" + Mid(cleanPhoneNumber, 0, 3) + ")" + Mid(cleanPhoneNumber, 3, 3) + "-" + Mid(cleanPhoneNumber), 6, 4);
    End If
End Function

2009-03-09 Reply Admin

Please supply me with a firearm and the coder responsible for this abomination. Then just close the door behind you and pretend you didn't see me today.

2009-03-09 Reply Admin

Shouldn't that address be:

For Loop Liberation Front 44 Front St. 2nd Floor Berea, OH 44017 USA End Loop

?? :\

(Uh, and the CAPTCHA was: transverbero .. what the heck is that? a verb with questionable gender?) :o

2009-03-09 Reply Admin

campkev:
dpm:
Yeah, the code sucks, but at least the length is verified before they try to access all ten digits they expect to be there.
Using the same verification standard, I have verified that my ****** is 10 inches long.

It may only be 10 inches, but sure smells like 1'

Code Dependent · 2009-03-09 Reply Admin

ContraCorners:
Pim:
I want to see what the StripNonNumericCharacters function looks like!
My guess would be something like this... *snip*

Even if you used a macro to generate that, you have waay too much time on your hands.

zzo38 · 2009-03-09 Reply Admin

This FOR-CASE construct has been seen before on Daily WTF before I think. Really the only reason I can think of is to simulate line-numbers and most programs don't need them (even if they have them).

2009-03-09 Reply Admin

Bah, this is nothing. I perhaps some of the most horrendous legacy code I inheritted, I have a single function that I've so far reduced to 977 lines (was previously +1500).

At last count, there's over a dozen of non-const static locals (hooray for non-reentrant code).

There are: 7 while loops. 25 for loops. 27 nested switch statements. 81 cases for those switch statements. 261 if statements. 123 else statements.

As I said, this phone number loops is NOTHING. It's not a WTF, it's a meh.

2009-03-09 Reply Admin

ContraCorners:
Pim:
I want to see what the StripNonNumericCharacters function looks like!
My guess would be something like this... <snip>

Don't be silly. This is much more eloquent:

Public Function StripNonNumericCharacters(ByVal sOrginalPhoneNumber As String) As String
        Dim i As Integer

        Dim sCleanPhoneNumber
        If sOrginalPhoneNumber Is Nothing Then
            Return String.Empty
        Else
            For i = 0 To 83
                Select Case i
                    Case 0
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sOrginalPhoneNumber, "A", "")
                    Case 1
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "B", "")
                    Case 2
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "C", "")
                    Case 3
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "D", "")
                    Case 4
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "E", "")
                    Case 5
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "F", "")
                    Case 6
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "G", "")
                    Case 7
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "H", "")
                    Case 8
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "I", "")
                    Case 9
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "J", "")
                    Case 10
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "K", "")
                    Case 11
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "L", "")
                    Case 12
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "M", "")
                    Case 13
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "N", "")
                    Case 14
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "O", "")
                    Case 15
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "P", "")
                    Case 16
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "Q", "")
                    Case 17
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "R", "")
                    Case 18
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "S", "")
                    Case 19
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "T", "")
                    Case 20
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "U", "")
                    Case 21
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "V", "")
                    Case 22
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "W", "")
                    Case 23
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "X", "")
                    Case 24
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "Y", "")
                    Case 25
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "Z", "")
                    Case 26
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "a", "")
                    Case 27
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "b", "")
                    Case 28
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "c", "")
                    Case 29
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "d", "")
                    Case 30
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "e", "")
                    Case 31
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "f", "")
                    Case 32
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "g", "")
                    Case 33
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "h", "")
                    Case 34
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "i", "")
                    Case 35
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "j", "")
                    Case 36
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "k", "")
                    Case 37
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "l", "")
                    Case 38
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "m", "")
                    Case 39
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "n", "")
                    Case 40
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "o", "")
                    Case 41
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "p", "")
                    Case 42
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "q", "")
                    Case 43
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "r", "")
                    Case 44
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "s", "")
                    Case 45
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "t", "")
                    Case 46
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "u", "")
                    Case 47
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "v", "")
                    Case 48
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "w", "")
                    Case 49
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "x", "")
                    Case 50
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "y", "")
                    Case 51
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "z", "")
                    Case 52
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "`", "")
                    Case 53
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "~", "")
                    Case 54
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "!", "")
                    Case 55
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "@", "")
                    Case 56
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "#", "")
                    Case 57
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "$", "")
                    Case 58
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "%", "")
                    Case 59
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "^", "")
                    Case 60
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "&", "")
                    Case 61
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "*", "")
                    Case 62
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "(", "")
                    Case 63
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, ")", "")
                    Case 64
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "_", "")
                    Case 65
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "-", "")
                    Case 66
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "+", "")
                    Case 67
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "=[", "")
                    Case 68
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "]", "")
                    Case 69
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "\", "")
                    Case 70
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "{", "")
                    Case 71
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "}", "")
                    Case 72
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "|", "")
                    Case 73
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, ";", "")
                    Case 74
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "", "")
                    Case 75
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, ";", "")
                    Case 76
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, """", "")
                    Case 77
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "'", "")
                    Case 78
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "", "")
                    Case 79
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, ",.", "")
                    Case 80
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "/", "")
                    Case 81
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "<", "")
                    Case 82
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, ">", "")
                    Case 83
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "?", "")

                End Select
            Next
            Return sCleanPhoneNumber
        End If
    End Function

2009-03-09 Reply Admin

def bla(a): return '('+a[:3]+') '+a[3:6]+'-'+a[6:]

2009-03-09 Reply Admin

diaphanein:
Bah, this is nothing. I perhaps some of the most horrendous legacy code I inheritted, I have a single function that I've so far reduced to 977 lines (was previously +1500).
At last count, there's over a dozen of non-const static locals (hooray for non-reentrant code).

There are: 7 while loops. 25 for loops. 27 nested switch statements. 81 cases for those switch statements. 261 if statements. 123 else statements.

As I said, this phone number loops is NOTHING. It's not a WTF, it's a meh.

Awesome. I am applying for the domain name "thedailymeh.com". In the future please direct all of your submissions to me.

campkev · 2009-03-09 Reply Admin

Kermos:
pscs:
The most accurate version of the 'i before e' saying is "i before e except where it isn't". Anything else is either going to be unrememberable or wrong.
There are so many exceptions to this "rule", I've never been convinced how useful it is (science, eiderdown, deity, seismic, Keith, caffeine, seeing, ancient, society etc etc etc).

Oh yea, English is such a clusterfuck of exceptions that it really is 'exceptional'. I have friends in Taiwan and Japan that I occasionally help with their English studies. Really makes you realize what a mess it all is when you try to explain it to someone and go "WTF..." in your mind. :)

Reminds me of the welcome speech from the Commandant of the Defense Language Institute. He said that once we got into our courses, some of us might start complaining about how hard the languages are to learn and how weird they are, but really, none of them are as hard to learn or as screwed up as English. As an example, he asked if anyone could give the past tense of "I can go"? Not one of the 300 or so people in the room, including me, could do it.

2009-03-09 Reply Admin

campkev:
Buddy:
Horrendous.
What is neat is that you can strip away, Picasso-style, and get at the essence of ApplyPhoneNumberFormatting.

...

Ironic that in a post about removing unnecessary lines, you have an if-return-else statement.

It's a work in progress, each step I have to tread every more carefully to ensure I capture the true essence of what is ApplyPhoneNumberFormatting.

[image]

2009-03-09 Reply Admin

dpm:
campkev:
some schmoe:
dpm:
Yeah, the code sucks, but at least the length is verified before they try to access all ten digits they expect to be there.
Where does it do that? I only see a check for length = 0, otherwise it assumes all the characters are there. So if cleanPhoneNumber comes back with only 9 chars or less, it will blow up.

Let me help you out

dpm:
Yeah, the code sucks, <sarcasm>but at least the length is verified before they try to access all ten digits they expect to be there.</sarcasm>
I beg your pardon! My claim that "the code sucks" was not sarcastic at all.

fix'd

ContraCorners · 2009-03-09 Reply Admin

More:

ContraCorners:
Pim:
I want to see what the StripNonNumericCharacters function looks like!
My guess would be something like this... <snip>

Don't be silly. This is much more eloquent:

Public Function StripNonNumericCharacters(ByVal sOrginalPhoneNumber As String) As String
        Dim i As Integer

        Dim sCleanPhoneNumber
        If sOrginalPhoneNumber Is Nothing Then
            Return String.Empty
        Else
            For i = 0 To 83
                Select Case i
                    Case 0
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sOrginalPhoneNumber, "A", "")
                    Case 1
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "B", "")
< snip >
                    Case 83
                        sCleanPhoneNumber = Replace(sCleanPhoneNumber, "?", "")

                End Select
            Next
            Return sCleanPhoneNumber
        End If
    End Function

cc

D'oh! What was I thinking?! Thanks for your help, I stand corrected.

2009-03-09 Reply Admin

Brompot:
campkev:
dpm:
Yeah, the code sucks, but at least the length is verified before they try to access all ten digits they expect to be there.
Using the same verification standard, I have verified that my ****** is 10 inches long.
My ruler is 12 inches. A much more common format.

Maybe, but his is metric.

2009-03-09 Reply Admin

Petition to name this XTREME CODING STYLE "Duff's Enigma"

Code Dependent · 2009-03-09 Reply Admin

campkev:
As an example, he asked if anyone could give the past tense of "I can go"?

I used to be able to go (but now I wear a catheter).

2009-03-09 Reply Admin

campkev:
Reminds me of the welcome speech from the Commandant of the Defense Language Institute. He said that once we got into our courses, some of us might start complaining about how hard the languages are to learn and how weird they are, but really, none of them are as hard to learn or as screwed up as English. As an example, he asked if anyone could give the past tense of "I can go"? Not one of the 300 or so people in the room, including me, could do it.

If I'm understanding correctly...

Today, I can go, but yesterday, I could have gone.

2009-03-09 Reply Admin

campkev:

Reminds me of the welcome speech from the Commandant of the Defense Language Institute. He said that once we got into our courses, some of us might start complaining about how hard the languages are to learn and how weird they are, but really, none of them are as hard to learn or as screwed up as English. As an example, he asked if anyone could give the past tense of "I can go"? Not one of the 300 or so people in the room, including me, could do it.

English is not my native language, but how about:

I could go
I could have gone

2009-03-09 Reply Admin

campkev:
Kermos:
pscs:
The most accurate version of the 'i before e' saying is "i before e except where it isn't". Anything else is either going to be unrememberable or wrong.
There are so many exceptions to this "rule", I've never been convinced how useful it is (science, eiderdown, deity, seismic, Keith, caffeine, seeing, ancient, society etc etc etc).

I could of gone?

Oh yea, English is such a clusterfuck of exceptions that it really is 'exceptional'. I have friends in Taiwan and Japan that I occasionally help with their English studies. Really makes you realize what a mess it all is when you try to explain it to someone and go "WTF..." in your mind. :)

Reminds me of the welcome speech from the Commandant of the Defense Language Institute. He said that once we got into our courses, some of us might start complaining about how hard the languages are to learn and how weird they are, but really, none of them are as hard to learn or as screwed up as English. As an example, he asked if anyone could give the past tense of "I can go"? Not one of the 300 or so people in the room, including me, could do it.

2009-03-09 Reply Admin

[quote user="campkev"][quote user="Kermos"]

Reminds me of the welcome speech from the Commandant of the Defense Language Institute. He said that once we got into our courses, some of us might start complaining about how hard the languages are to learn and how weird they are, but really, none of them are as hard to learn or as screwed up as English. As an example, he asked if anyone could give the past tense of "I can go"? Not one of the 300 or so people in the room, including me, could do it.[/quote]

Sorry, messed that up:

I could of gone?

Kermos · 2009-03-09 Reply Admin

[quote user="Anon"][quote user="campkev"][quote user="Kermos"]

Reminds me of the welcome speech from the Commandant of the Defense Language Institute. He said that once we got into our courses, some of us might start complaining about how hard the languages are to learn and how weird they are, but really, none of them are as hard to learn or as screwed up as English. As an example, he asked if anyone could give the past tense of "I can go"? Not one of the 300 or so people in the room, including me, could do it.[/quote]

Sorry, messed that up:

I could of gone?[/quote]

Yep, you definitely messed that up...

2009-03-09 Reply Admin

If this doesn't make you cry, you have no soul.

2009-03-09 Reply Admin

Even VB6 can do it better:

Public Function ApplyPhoneNumberFormatting(ByVal phoneNumber As String) As String

Dim cleanPhoneNumber As String

cleanPhoneNumber = StripNonNumericCharacters(phoneNumber)

If cleanPhoneNumber.Length = 0 Then
    ApplyPhoneNumberFormatting = ""
Else
    ApplyPhoneNumberFormatting = Format(cleanPhoneNumber, "(@@@) @@@-@@@@")
End If

End Function

campkev · 2009-03-09 Reply Admin

Code Dependent:
campkev:
As an example, he asked if anyone could give the past tense of "I can go"?
I used to be able to go (but now I wear a catheter).

I could go

I could have gone

I could of gone?

Four responses, all different. Is the right answer even necessary to make my point?

2009-03-09 Reply Admin

As an example, he asked if anyone could give the past tense of "I can go"? Not one of the 300 or so people in the room, including me, could do it.

You're telling us not one of 300 people could come up with "I could have gone?" That seems implausible.

YourNameHere · 2009-03-09 Reply Admin

bobbytables:
How did I know this was going to be VB?

Darn you beat me to my comment.

2009-03-09 Reply Admin

Sofa King:
As an example, he asked if anyone could give the past tense of "I can go"? Not one of the 300 or so people in the room, including me, could do it.
You're telling us not one of 300 people could come up with "I could have gone?" That seems implausible.

That was my first thought as well, but isn't that a conditional (thus, past tense of "I could go") rather than a strict past tense?

Which would (now that I think of it) seem to lead to "I can have gone" as the correct answer, but since I went through three other possibilities leading to it, the original point of English being complicated in this respect does seem to have some validity.

campkev · 2009-03-09 Reply Admin

Sofa King:
As an example, he asked if anyone could give the past tense of "I can go"? Not one of the 300 or so people in the room, including me, could do it.
You're telling us not one of 300 people could come up with "I could have gone?" That seems implausible.

No, someone came up with "I could have gone", it just isn't right.

Code Dependent · 2009-03-09 Reply Admin

Anon:
I could of gone?

I could of gone, except I of to of something to eat first.

campkev · 2009-03-09 Reply Admin

Code Dependent:
Anon:
I could of gone?
I could of gone, except I of to of something to eat first.

Don't be mean, he did say he wasn't a native speaker, and if you've only heard it said, "could've gone" sounds a lot like "could of".

Formatting a Phone Number - The Long Version

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