The Daily WTF: Curious Perversions in Information Technology

2011-03-28 Reply Admin

Besides either using IsDigit or a whitelist of chars, we allow anything in the text, simply because people can type

+44 (0)1234 56789

or

01234 56789 ext 3

etc.

Depends what you really need it for.

When I get asked for my phone number (usually for marketing spam) I put 0100 100000 which is good enough to defeat most form checks.

2011-03-28 Reply Admin

Then somebody comes along and adds the following for for a small software test

©®

2011-03-28 Reply Admin

No you don't do that. You put in a voip number that you get inbound calls deducted from your outbound call's :)

That way the marketing spam pays for your outbound calls :)

Shoruke · 2011-03-28 Reply Admin

Did this programmer not go to school or something?

2011-03-28 Reply Admin

Ma Bell's Officially Recommended Exchange Names.

I use CApital 4-6195. Other than occasionally being asked how to make a capital 4, what's the problem?

http://ourwebhome.com/TENP/Recommended.html

Ma Bell's Officially Recommended Exchange Names

2011-03-28 Reply Admin

Of course the right way to validate the phone number is to hook a modem up to the server and dial it.

2011-03-28 Reply Admin

Simple. Put a Java class called VirtualPhone behind the page, with a typeKey(char keyValue, String contextBeanId) method which throws an exception if the key value is invalid, a simulateCall() method that throws if the number is invalid, and a getLastNumberDialled() method. Don't ask me about how exceptions are handled because I neither know nor care how the UI works.

2011-03-28 Reply Admin

Your Name:
You may want to do other validation for the phone number as well. For the US, for instance, you'll want to make sure it's ten digits. Also, some checking of the actual digits:
abb-cdd-xxxx

Neither A nor C can be equal to 1, and neither BB nor DD can be equal to 11.

You know, just for a start. I mean, if you're not doing anything useful with the field you don't need to bother, I guess.

IIRC A and C also cannot be 0.

2011-03-28 Reply Admin

Scala:

filter(_ isDigit) mkString

2011-03-28 Reply Admin

Anon:
Your Name:
You may want to do other validation for the phone number as well. For the US, for instance, you'll want to make sure it's ten digits. Also, some checking of the actual digits:
abb-cdd-xxxx

Neither A nor C can be equal to 1, and neither BB nor DD can be equal to 11.

You know, just for a start. I mean, if you're not doing anything useful with the field you don't need to bother, I guess.

IIRC A and C also cannot be 0.

Unless the phone number starts with 110, 00 or +, in which case the next 1 - 4 numbers are a country code, and the rest is country dependant ^^

2011-03-28 Reply Admin

Groogy:
Don't think it is Javascript, looks like ruby looking at the comment.

I think every CodeSOD should specify the language.

2011-03-28 Reply Admin

What, no backwards compatibility? "Pennsylvania Six Five Thousand!"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PEnnsylvania_6-5000

frits · 2011-03-28 Reply Admin

flyboyfred:
Groogy:
Don't think it is Javascript, looks like ruby looking at the comment.

I think every CodeSOD should specify the language.

For extra lols when they specify the wrong one?

2011-03-28 Reply Admin

NUXI:
The real WTF is that this code is wrong because letters are allowed in phone numbers...
replace("a", "") should actually be replace("a", "2")

Except you'd get in trouble with p and w, as those characters actually have a meaning for dialers. I believe the functional set of characters is something along the lines of:

[0-9*#pw+]

Though for readability the following set is added:

[ -(),]

(I might have missed some, but those are the more common ones)

2011-03-28 Reply Admin

SG_01:
NUXI:
The real WTF is that this code is wrong because letters are allowed in phone numbers...
replace("a", "") should actually be replace("a", "2")

Except you'd get in trouble with p and w, as those characters actually have a meaning for dialers. I believe the functional set of characters is something along the lines of:
[0-9*#pw+]
Though for readability the following set is added:
[ -(),]
(I might have missed some, but those are the more common ones)

Erm, that last one should be [ -(),] of course ^^

2011-03-28 Reply Admin

Dude. Google "regular expressions". I swear it will blow your effing mind.

toth · 2011-03-28 Reply Admin

LOL! It should obviously have been


homephone = homephone.replace(" ", "").replace("-", "").replace("(", "").replace(")", "")
.replace("[", "").replace("]", "").replace(".", "")
.replace("`", "").replace("^", "").replace("!", "")
.replace("@", "").replace("#", "").replace("$", "")
.replace("%", "").replace("&", "").replace("*", "")
.replace("+", "").replace("=", "").replace("/", "")
.replace("<", "").replace(">", "").replace(":", "")
.replace(";", "").replace("~", "").replace("A", "")
.replace("B", "").replace("C", "").replace("D", "")
.replace("E", "").replace("F", "").replace("G", "")
.replace("H", "").replace("I", "").replace("J", "")
.replace("K", "").replace("L", "").replace("M", "")
.replace("N", "").replace("O", "").replace("P", "")
.replace("Q", "").replace("R", "").replace("S", "")
.replace("T", "").replace("U", "").replace("V", "")
.replace("W", "").replace("X", "").replace("Y", "")
.replace("Z", "").replace("a", "").replace("b", "")
.replace("c", "").replace("d", "").replace("e", "")
.replace("f", "").replace("g", "").replace("h", "")
.replace("i", "").replace("j", "").replace("k", "")
.replace("l", "").replace("m", "").replace("n", "")
.replace("o", "").replace("p", "").replace("q", "")
.replace("r", "").replace("s", "").replace("t", "")
.replace("u", "").replace("v", "").replace("w", "")
.replace("x", "").replace("y", "").replace("z", "")

All those extra assignments are so unnecessary!

@Deprecated · 2011-03-28 Reply Admin

BentFranklin:
programmer = programmer.replace("right away")

Or maybe:

employees.replace("programmer", "monkey");

2011-03-28 Reply Admin

He should have used functions for all of that redundant code:

def fixhomephone(homephone):
    return homephone.replace(" ", "").replace("-", "").replace("(", "").replace(")", "")
.replace("[", "").replace("]", "").replace(".", "")
.replace("`", "").replace("^", "").replace("!", "")
.replace("@", "").replace("#", "").replace("$", "")
.replace("%", "").replace("&", "").replace("*", "")
.replace("+", "").replace("=", "").replace("/", "")
.replace("<", "").replace(">", "").replace(":", "")
.replace(";", "").replace("~", "").replace("A", "")
.replace("B", "").replace("C", "").replace("D", "")
.replace("E", "").replace("F", "").replace("G", "")
.replace("H", "").replace("I", "").replace("J", "")
.replace("K", "").replace("L", "").replace("M", "")
.replace("N", "").replace("O", "").replace("P", "")
.replace("Q", "").replace("R", "").replace("S", "")
.replace("T", "").replace("U", "").replace("V", "")
.replace("W", "").replace("X", "").replace("Y", "")
.replace("Z", "").replace("a", "").replace("b", "")
.replace("c", "").replace("d", "").replace("e", "")
.replace("f", "").replace("g", "").replace("h", "")
.replace("i", "").replace("j", "").replace("k", "")
.replace("l", "").replace("m", "").replace("n", "")
.replace("o", "").replace("p", "").replace("q", "")
.replace("r", "").replace("s", "").replace("t", "")
.replace("u", "").replace("v", "").replace("w", "")
.replace("x", "").replace("y", "").replace("z", "") 

def fixworkphone(workphone):
    ...

def fixcellphone(cellphone):
    ...

homephone = fixhomephone(homephone)
workphone = fixhomephone(workphone) # issue 64286
cellphone = fixcellphone(cellphone)

2011-03-28 Reply Admin

So, say,

"7,{2'

is a valid phone number?

boog · 2011-03-28 Reply Admin

@Deprecated:
BentFranklin:
programmer = programmer.replace("right away")
Or maybe:
employees.replace("programmer", "monkey");

I'm guessing that's how they ended up with this code in the first place.

Quicksilver · 2011-03-28 Reply Admin

Idea
number = number.replaceAll("\D",""); no to short and who knows \D anyway?
Idea number = number.replaceAll("[^\d"],""); yes but what if reader ist not that fluent in regexp, got to remove these predefined groups
Idea number = number.replaceAll("[^0123456789]"],""); OK but what if the reader does not know about negation...
idea see article

perfect!!!

2011-03-28 Reply Admin

BLah Blah:
I get it! It's more flexible! Just in case they decide to allow or disallow another character, they simple add or remove another .replace()! brillant!

But that would require recompiling! Better to put the forbidden chars in a database, named, perhaps, "blacklist".

Programming to a whitelist is too hard, plus, it's not secure!

2011-03-28 Reply Admin

Mark:
Dude. Google "regular expressions". I swear it will blow your effing mind.

I'm worried about the amount of people who are suggesting regular expressions for such a trivial problem. Regular expressions have their place but they are totally the wrong tool for a simple non-numeric replace like this. Fun fact: in the .NET framework the regular expression handling classes have the highest cyclomatic complexity of any classes in the entire framework (last time I checked, circa 3.0). Yes, I know this code isn't .NET but it highlights an inescapable fact about regexes - they are a seriously expensive operation, in any language. Don't abuse them for silly little jobs like this one.

2011-03-28 Reply Admin

The WTF is the requirement "Only the numbers should be saved."

Why would you do that if you don't bother to validate ? You may as well just save the input exactly as given.

hoodaticus · 2011-03-28 Reply Admin

Shoruke:
Did this programmer not go to school or something?

You're asking about preschool?

2011-03-28 Reply Admin

caper:
The WTF is the requirement "Only the numbers should be saved."

Oh is that what he was trying to do?

Easy. Add zero. If it isn't a number you'll get an error.

frits · 2011-03-28 Reply Admin

Anonymous:
Mark:
Dude. Google "regular expressions". I swear it will blow your effing mind.
I'm worried about the amount of people who are suggesting regular expressions for such a trivial problem. Regular expressions have their place but they are totally the wrong tool for a simple non-numeric replace like this. Fun fact: in the .NET framework the regular expression handling classes have the highest cyclomatic complexity of any classes in the entire framework (last time I checked, circa 3.0). Yes, I know this code isn't .NET but it highlights an inescapable fact about regexes - they are a seriously expensive operation, in any language. Don't abuse them for silly little jobs like this one.

True. But the sense of smugness you get from using regexes is priceless.

frits · 2011-03-28 Reply Admin

Jerry:
caper:
The WTF is the requirement "Only the numbers should be saved."
Oh is that what he was trying to do?
Easy. Add zero. If it isn't a number you'll get an error.

Wow. That's isn't the same thing at all.

hoodaticus · 2011-03-28 Reply Admin

frits:

Even VB can do it better:

    Private Function GetPhoneNumber(ByVal homephone As String) As String
        Dim temp As String = String.Empty
        Dim tempVal As Integer
        Dim i As Integer
        For i = 0 To homephone.Length - 1
            tempVal = Val(homephone(i))
            If ((Not tempVal = 0) And (Not (homephone(i) = "0"(0)))) Then
                temp += CUInt(tempVal).ToString
            End If
        Next
        GetPhoneNumber = tempVal
    End Function

You can be one demented fuck when you want to be.

2011-03-28 Reply Admin

"Don't think it is Javascript, looks like ruby looking at the comment."

In ruby you use "gsub" for this purpose; "replace" does something a bit different (and fairly pointless).

2011-03-28 Reply Admin

frits:
Jerry:
caper:
The WTF is the requirement "Only the numbers should be saved."
Oh is that what he was trying to do?
Easy. Add zero. If it isn't a number you'll get an error.
Wow. That's isn't the same thing at all.

Obvious troll is obvious

2011-03-28 Reply Admin

hoodaticus:

frits:

Even VB can do it better:

    Private Function GetPhoneNumber(ByVal homephone As String) As String
        Dim temp As String = String.Empty
        Dim tempVal As Integer
        Dim i As Integer
        For i = 0 To homephone.Length - 1
            tempVal = Val(homephone(i))
            If ((Not tempVal = 0) And (Not (homephone(i) = "0"(0)))) Then
                temp += CUInt(tempVal).ToString
            End If
        Next
        GetPhoneNumber = tempVal
    End Function

You can be one demented fuck when you want to be.

Mwahahahahahaha... Beware, looking at the below code may induce vomiting.


foreach (char number in phoneNumber)
            {
                try
                {
                    int temp = Convert.ToInt32(number);
                    result = result + (string)temp.ToString() as string;
                }
                catch
                { 
                    // This should never happen...
                }
            }

oh, and can't forget the foreach-switch...

            foreach (char number in phoneNumber)
            {
                switch (number)
                { 
                    case '1':
                        result = result + (string)number.ToString() as string;
                        break;
                    case '2':
                        result = result + (string)number.ToString() as string;
                        break;
                    case '3':
                        result = result + (string)number.ToString() as string;
                        break;
                    case '4':
                        result = result + (string)number.ToString() as string;
                        break;
                    case '5':
                        result = result + (string)number.ToString() as string;
                        break;
                    case '6':
                        result = result + (string)number.ToString() as string;
                        break;
                    case '7':
                        result = result + (string)number.ToString() as string;
                        break;
                    case '8':
                        result = result + (string)number.ToString() as string;
                        break;
                    case '9':
                        result = result + (string)number.ToString() as string;
                        break;
                    default:
                        break;
                }
            }

2011-03-28 Reply Admin

F@#)%(*@# you askimet.

why have a shitty capture and then prevent so many legitimate posts?

Implement a proper captcha and get rid of askimet.

2011-03-28 Reply Admin

NUXI:
The real WTF is that this code is wrong because letters are allowed in phone numbers...
replace("a", "") should actually be replace("a", "2")

Hint - it's called a telephone NUMBER for a reason. You can draw whatever characters you want on your handset and press those until your finger tips wear away, but the number is still a number.

2011-03-28 Reply Admin

Note also that the code calls replace so many time that regex performance issues pale in comparison.

frits · 2011-03-28 Reply Admin

hoodaticus:

frits:

Even VB can do it better:

    Private Function GetPhoneNumber(ByVal homephone As String) As String
        Dim temp As String = String.Empty
        Dim tempVal As Integer
        Dim i As Integer
        For i = 0 To homephone.Length - 1
            tempVal = Val(homephone(i))
            If ((Not tempVal = 0) And (Not (homephone(i) = "0"(0)))) Then
                temp += CUInt(tempVal).ToString
            End If
        Next
        GetPhoneNumber = tempVal
    End Function

.

You can be one demented fuck when you want to be.

Thanks. I feel I really embraced the VB way of doing things.

2011-03-28 Reply Admin

Anonymous:
Mark:
Dude. Google "regular expressions". I swear it will blow your effing mind.
I'm worried about the amount of people who are suggesting regular expressions for such a trivial problem. Regular expressions have their place but they are totally the wrong tool for a simple non-numeric replace like this. Fun fact: in the .NET framework the regular expression handling classes have the highest cyclomatic complexity of any classes in the entire framework (last time I checked, circa 3.0). Yes, I know this code isn't .NET but it highlights an inescapable fact about regexes - they are a seriously expensive operation, in any language. Don't abuse them for silly little jobs like this one.

Are you one of those guys who spends 3 days finding a 'clever' workaround to save 2 clock cycles for a task which is called once an hour and has a disk/network bottleneck anyway?

This is precisely the type of task for which a regex should be used. Seriously Expensive is a relative term, and given the context of this system - no it isn't.

2011-03-28 Reply Admin

A Møøse once bit my sister ... No realli!

2011-03-28 Reply Admin

C-Octothorpe:
Mwahahahahahaha... Beware, looking at the below code may induce vomiting.

Obviously you should have put each character into a string array and used String.Join to make the final string.

Maybe even writing your own linked list class and dropping in some unsafe code with pointers in there.

This is not spam. Akismet can kiss my ass.

2011-03-28 Reply Admin

Where is death when we need it !

dohpaz42 · 2011-03-28 Reply Admin

PsyckoBaton:
Where is death when we need it !

It's here, in the form of Akismet.

2011-03-28 Reply Admin

Vacaloca:
C-Octothorpe:
Mwahahahahahaha... Beware, looking at the below code may induce vomiting.

Obviously you should have put each character into a string array and used String.Join to make the final string.

Maybe even writing your own linked list class and dropping in some unsafe code with pointers in there.

This is not spam. Akismet can kiss my ass.

No, that would be too 'enterprisey'... You need to show an absolute lack of understanding with both gerenal concepts and of the language specific usage/functions.

You want to show someone lifting a car with their bare hands to change a tire, not them building an elevator out of bubble-gum and sticks.

2011-03-28 Reply Admin

Paid by the character...

2011-03-28 Reply Admin

Apparently he didn't know how to use functions, either.

I love seeing code in triplicate. I love seeing code in triplicate. I love seeing code in triplicate.

boog · 2011-03-28 Reply Admin

Anonymous:
Regular expressions have their place but they are totally the wrong tool for a simple non-numeric replace like this. Blah blah blah...it highlights an inescapable fact about regexes - they are a seriously expensive operation, in any language.

You say that like it's a bad thing. Is execution time the only value by which you measure one tool's "total wrongness" vs. another?

2011-03-28 Reply Admin

I love how he even managed to miss the OBVIOUS standard ASCII characters:

',_{}|"?

He couldn't even manage to write bad code :(

DaveE

2011-03-28 Reply Admin

frits:
Even VB can do it better:
        For i = 0 To homephone.Length - 1

You forgot OnError, ResumeNext. And you're going to need that because VB strings are 1 based!

The real WTF etc etc...

2011-03-28 Reply Admin

What do you mean? That code looks like it was auto-generated...

C4I_Officer · 2011-03-28 Reply Admin

I'd love to see a full 16-bit Unicode compliant version of this code. And one compatible with escaped unicode and escaped HTML...and escaped HTML Unicode.

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