The Daily WTF: Curious Perversions in Information Technology

aliceif · 2014-10-02 Reply Admin

tdwtf.postComment(post_is_frist_post == true ? "frist!" : post_is_not_sceond_post ? post_is_thrid_post ? "thrid!" : /*Todo: Add good comment text*/ "forth?" : "sceond!");

VinDuv · 2014-10-02 Reply Admin

This developer needs to learn about local variables... Code like is is probably why some code quality checkers, like the one I’m using at work, completely forbid the ternary operator. And that’s too bad because in some cases a ternary operator can actually improve code legibility.

2014-10-02 Reply Admin

bool? frist = ( postcount > 0 ? false : postcount.HasValue ? false : null );

2014-10-02 Reply Admin

Equivalent:

string title = string.Format("{0:dd/MM/yyyy} to ", payRecord.DateStarted);
title += payRecord.DateLeft == null ? "Present" : string.Format("{1:dd/MM/yyyy}", payRecord.DateLeft);
title += string.Format(" : {0} ({1})", payRecord.Department.PayrollCompany.CompanyName, payRecord.PayFrequency));
if (includePayrollIDinResult) {
    title += "|" +payRecord.Department.PayrollCompanyID;
}
payRecordsList.Add(title, payRecord.ID);

2014-10-02 Reply Admin

drbeat:

Equivalent:

string title = string.Format("{0:dd/MM/yyyy} to ", payRecord.DateStarted);
title += payRecord.DateLeft == null ? "Present" : string.Format("{1:dd/MM/yyyy}", payRecord.DateLeft);
title += string.Format(" : {0} ({1})", payRecord.Department.PayrollCompany.CompanyName, payRecord.PayFrequency));
if (includePayrollIDinResult) {
    title += "|" +payRecord.Department.PayrollCompanyID;
}
payRecordsList.Add(title, payRecord.ID);

Or:

string to = payRecord.DateLeft == null ? "Present" : string.Format("{1:dd/MM/yyyy}", payRecord.DateLeft);
string title = string.Format("{0:dd/MM/yyyy} to {1} : {2} ({3})", payRecord.DateStarted, to, 
payRecord.Department.PayrollCompany.CompanyName, payRecord.PayFrequency));
if (includePayrollIDinResult) {
    title += "|" +payRecord.Department.PayrollCompanyID;
}
payRecordsList.Add(title, payRecord.ID);

Jeddix · 2014-10-02 Reply Admin

That's actually not THAT bad if you intend it right.

(Done via Resharper because I'm too lazy after my break)

payRecordsList.Add(
  payRecord.DateLeft == null
    ? includePayrollIDinResult == false
        ? string.Format(
          "{0:dd/MM/yyyy} to Present : {1} ({2})",
          payRecord.DateStarted,
          payRecord.Department.PayrollCompany.CompanyName,
          payRecord.PayFrequency)
        : string.Format(
          "{0:dd/MM/yyyy} to Present : {1} ({2})",
          payRecord.DateStarted,
          payRecord.Department.PayrollCompany.CompanyName,
          payRecord.PayFrequency) + "|" + payRecord.Department.PayrollCompanyID
    : includePayrollIDinResult == false
        ? string.Format(
          "{0:dd/MM/yyyy} to {1:dd/MM/yyyy} : {2} ({3})",
          payRecord.DateStarted,
          payRecord.DateLeft,
          payRecord.Department.PayrollCompany.CompanyName,
          payRecord.PayFrequency)
        : string.Format(
          "{0:dd/MM/yyyy} to {1:dd/MM/yyyy} : {2} ({3})",
          payRecord.DateStarted,
          payRecord.DateLeft,
          payRecord.Department.PayrollCompany.CompanyName,
          payRecord.PayFrequency) + "|" + payRecord.Department.PayrollCompanyID,
  payRecord.ID);

But I wouldn't do this in real code.

aliceif · 2014-10-02 Reply Admin

It's not really the Ternary Operator, but rather the fact that some idiot uses String.Format inside a function call that makes this a WTF. Although, the whole includePayrollIDinResult thing could be made better by using the Ternary Operator less stupidly: you could use it to switch the suffix itself on and off, instead of duplicating the entire goddamn thing.

Eldelshell · 2014-10-02 Reply Admin

That is so functional.

aliceif · 2014-10-02 Reply Admin

A little less braindead edition:

payRecordsList.Add(
  payRecord.DateLeft == null
    ? string.Format(
      "{0:dd/MM/yyyy} to Present : {1} ({2})",
      payRecord.DateStarted,
      payRecord.Department.PayrollCompany.CompanyName,
      payRecord.PayFrequency) +
      includePayrollIDinResult == false ? "" : "|" + payRecord.Department.PayrollCompanyID
    : string.Format(
      "{0:dd/MM/yyyy} to {1:dd/MM/yyyy} : {2} ({3})",
      payRecord.DateStarted,
      payRecord.DateLeft,
      payRecord.Department.PayrollCompany.CompanyName,
      payRecord.PayFrequency) +
      includePayrollIDinResult == false ? "" : "|" + payRecord.Department.PayrollCompanyID,
  payRecord.ID);

aliceif · 2014-10-02 Reply Admin

WTF am I even doing. TRRWTF is using == false.

Someone_Else · 2014-10-02 Reply Admin

Since 99% of the String.Format is the same, couldn't you un-stupify that even more?

payRecordsList.Add(
    string.Format(
        "{0:dd/MM/yyyy} to {1} : {2} ({3})",
        payRecord.DateStarted,
        payRecord.DateLeft == null ? "Present" : payRecord.DateLeft.ToString("dd/MM/yyyy"),
        payRecord.Department.PayrollCompany.CompanyName,
        payRecord.PayFrequency) +
        !includePayrollIDinResult ? "" : "|" + payRecord.Department.PayrollCompanyID,
    payRecord.ID);

aliceif · 2014-10-02 Reply Admin

Nice! That looks a lot less awful, with only two little changes. And only one ternary operator less than what we had in the beginning! I was too lazy to go all the way, so I guess this one's for you: + :cookie:

BdotC · 2014-10-02 Reply Admin

This could be a method on the PayRecord class, so you could do:

payRecordsList.Add(payRecord.ToString(includePayrollIDinResult), payRecord.ID);

The method itself could be:

public string ToString(bool includePayrollIDinResult)
{
  return string.Format(
        "{0:dd/MM/yyyy} to {1} : {2} ({3}){4}",
        DateStarted,
        DateLeft == null ? "Present" : DateLeft.ToString("dd/MM/yyyy"),
        Department.PayrollCompany.CompanyName,
        PayFrequency,
	includePayrollIDinResult ? "|" + payRecord.Department.PayrollCompanyID : "");
}

cliffc · 2014-10-02 Reply Admin

spelling = (rand()<0.5 ? "ternary" : rand()<0.5 ? "terinary" : "terninary");

Dogsworth · 2014-10-02 Reply Admin

Mark Bowytz:
terinary

Mark Bowytz:
terninary

Mark Bowytz:
ternary

Third time's a charm, I guess.

VinDuv · 2014-10-02 Reply Admin

Dogsworth:
Third time

Well, it’s not called “ternary” for nothing, after all...

Steve_The_Cynic · 2014-10-02 Reply Admin

nested within the call to "payRecordsList.Add", almost every parameter passed has its own ternary operator added.

Sadly, no. payRecordsList.Add() has only one parameter(1), so the single argument(1) is a huge compound ternary-of-ternaries. None of the non-format-string arguments to string.Format() are ternaries themselves (but probably should be).

(1) These might not be the correct terminology for C# (string with small S(2), so it's C# if I have this right), and I can't be bothered to look it up, but the distinction is useful. In the land of C, "parameter" corresponds to the Pascal term "formal parameter" - the doodad in the function prototype - while "argument" corresponds to the Pascal term "actual parameter" - the thing passed in during a function call.

(2) Yes, a small S. Terminology chosen to derail the reader's brain a bit, like writing the word 'red' in blue and then asking the reader to tell you what colour the word is...

EDIT: Fixed up the bogus markup interpretation that this stupid wanked fucked-up forum software insists on applying to asterisks. No. I don't like it.

2014-10-02 Reply Admin

bah

payRecordsList.AddRange(payRecords.Select(record => record.ToString(includePayrollIDinResult)));

...

public static class PayRecordExtensions {
  public static string ToString(this PayRecord payRecord, bool IncludePayrollIDInResult) {
    return string.Format("{0:dd/MM/yyyy} to {1} : {2} ({3}){4}",
                          payRecord.DateStarted,
                          payRecord.DateLeft.HasValue ? payRecord.DateLeft.ToString("dd/MM/yyyy") : "Present",
                          payRecord.Department.PayrollCompany.CompanyName,
                          payRecord.PayFrequency,
                          IncludePayrollIDInResult ? "|" + payRecord.Department.PayrollCompanyID : string.Empty);
  }
}

CoyneTheDup · 2014-10-02 Reply Admin

"Maintainable? Our programs are perfect and never need to be maintained."

The worst WTF is that the the first part of each ternary result is constant, and could have been broken out to a predecessor string. But I guess temporary strings are harmful or something.

devmonkey · 2014-10-02 Reply Admin

No, totally disagree. it is still very bad - even with formatting.

Readability: you cannot easily tell what the parameters of the Add method are
Debugging: it is not possible to check when debugging what the values were computed to, unless you step into the Add method as well

I would cite this as a code smell and require it was refactored.

cartman82 · 2014-10-02 Reply Admin

When you indent things correctly, ternary is actually perfectly legible.

Example: what does this mean?

var x = settings ? settings.widgets ? settings.widgets.name: settings.name: GLOBAL["widgets"] ? GLOBAL["widgets"].name: DEFAULT_WIDGETS_NAME;

Who knows, right?

How about now?

var x = settings
	? settings.widgets
		? settings.widgets.name
		: settings.name
	: GLOBAL["widgets"]
		? GLOBAL["widgets"].name
		: DEFAULT_WIDGETS_NAME;

Ahh, it's getting a setting value from multiple possible locations. Got it.

I don't think you could make it clearer with ifs.

aliceif · 2014-10-02 Reply Admin

We already talked about that in this thread :arrow_down: http://what.thedailywtf.com/t/one-bad-ternary-operator-deserves-another/1443

LorenPechtel · 2014-10-02 Reply Admin

Yup, the real problem here was common subexpressions, not the ternary operator. I consider duplicated code to be the worst enemy of clarity.

cellocgw · 2014-10-02 Reply Admin

And here I was, thinking a "terninary operator" was something to use on migratory shorebirds who nest in dunes like on Plum Island, MA!

DrPepper · 2014-10-02 Reply Admin

What gets pushed onto the list is a string.

We all know how to do this -- there is a payRecord object. I'd create a collection of subclasses of payRecord; one for a person who is still employed (payRecords.DateLeft); then create a ToString() method on each. ToString would take a parameter (includePayrollIdInResult); internally ToString() would call one of two methods to generate the actual string.

Basically, the idea is -- ask the object for a string representation of itself, and push that onto the list. Clean, self-contained, and testable methods on the object.

chubertdev · 2014-10-02 Reply Admin

It's a ternary operator article, let me show you how it's done!

blakeyrat · 2014-10-02 Reply Admin

VinDuv:
And that’s too bad because in some cases a ternary operator can actually improve code legibility.

Nope.

http://forums.thedailywtf.com/forums/p/26209/293710.aspx

Zylon · 2014-10-02 Reply Admin

Dear Mr. Bowytz,

Your opinion on this matter might carry a smidge more weight if you were capable of spelling ternary correctly more than 1/3 of the time.

David_C · 2014-10-02 Reply Admin

True. But you must make sure your indentation is correct. Auto-indent tools (possibly just pressing <TAB> a lot in emacs) are important. If you mis-indent expressions like that, then most readers will trust the indentation for the semantic hints and guess wrong about what the code does.

aliceif · 2014-10-02 Reply Admin

But every "proper programmer" according to popular opinion uses a proper IDE anyways, which makes identing as easy as Ctrlk,Ctrld! Or CtrlShiftf or whatever else there is ...

chubertdev · 2014-10-02 Reply Admin

$formattingKeystrokes

Arantor · 2014-10-02 Reply Admin

CtrlK, CtrlD in Notepad++ makes the entire thing you've selected a block, and then duplicates it.

It's... interesting to watch what happens.

2014-10-02 Reply Admin

The programmer who wrote that would've been absolutely at home with Lisp. One languages's WTFs are another languages' modus operandi.

cbretana · 2014-10-02 Reply Admin

Altough any code looks horrible when NO formatting is applied, this is actually pretty good (although it could be improved a bit) if it was formatted appropriately:

payRecordsList.Add(
     payRecord.DateLeft == null ? 
        includePayrollIDinResult == false ? 
        	string.Format("{0:dd/MM/yyyy} to Present : {1} ({2})", 
        		payRecord.DateStarted,
                        payRecord.Department.PayrollCompany.CompanyName, payRecord.PayFrequency) : 
        	string.Format("{0:dd/MM/yyyy} to Present : {1} ({2})", 
        		payRecord.DateStarted, payRecord.Department.PayrollCompany.CompanyName, 
                        payRecord.PayFrequency) + "|" + payRecord.Department.PayrollCompanyID : 
        includePayrollIDinResult == false ? 
        	string.Format("{0:dd/MM/yyyy} to {1:dd/MM/yyyy} : {2} ({3})", 
        		payRecord.DateStarted, payRecord.DateLeft, 
                        payRecord.Department.PayrollCompany.CompanyName, payRecord.PayFrequency) : 
        	string.Format("{0:dd/MM/yyyy} to {1:dd/MM/yyyy} : {2} ({3})", 
        		payRecord.DateStarted, payRecord.DateLeft, 
                        payRecord.Department.PayrollCompany.CompanyName, payRecord.PayFrequency) + "|" + 
        	        payRecord.Department.PayrollCompanyID, payRecord.ID
        	);

much better however, would be:

payRecordsList.Add(
     string.Format("{0:dd/MM/yyyy} to {1:dd/MM/yyyy} : {2} ({3}){4}".
          payRecord.DateStarted, 
          payRecord.DateLeft == null? "Present": payRecord.DateLeft,
          payRecord.Department.PayrollCompany.CompanyName, 
          payRecord.PayFrequency,
          includePayrollIDinResult ? "|" + payRecord.Department.PayrollCompanyID, 
     payRecord.ID)

Watson · 2014-10-03 Reply Admin

Of course, a better name for it would be "conditional operator" anyway. All "ternary" does is say that it takes three operands; nothing about what it does with them.

trithne · 2014-10-03 Reply Admin

Old VB called it "Inline If", which I found pretty self-explanatory.

Nagesh · 2014-10-03 Reply Admin

Hannes:
bool? frist = ( postcount > 0 ? false : postcount.HasValue ? false : null );

This is impact of using too much Resharper tool

eViLegion · 2014-10-03 Reply Admin

Do you all mean "the conditional operator"?

nmclean · 2014-10-03 Reply Admin

If we're being technical about the definitions, then the "huge compound ternary-of-ternaries" isn't an argument either. The function declaration variable is the parameter, the ternary-mess is an expression, and the resulting string object is the argument.

Steve_The_Cynic · 2014-10-03 Reply Admin

nmclean:
If we're being technical about the definitions, then the "huge compound ternary-of-ternaries" isn't an argument either. The function declaration variable is the parameter, the ternary-mess is an *expression*, and the resulting string object is the argument.

Yes, indeed, and well done for out-pedanting me!

HardwareGeek · 2014-10-03 Reply Admin

Steve_The_Cynic:
well done for out-pedanting me!

Nominated for pendantry badgification.

FrostCat · 2014-10-03 Reply Admin

HardwareGeek:
pendantry

Hee hee hee

2014-10-06 Reply Admin

Nagesh:
Hannes:
bool? frist = ( postcount > 0 ? false : postcount.HasValue ? false : null );

This is impact of using too much Resharper tool

In fact, I haven't really used Resharper so far. Only had a quick look at it.

But I was amused (more like "shocked") when I found out you could use a nullable bool in C#. And worst of all: "File not found!" isn't a valid state for a nullable bool! :(

2014-10-07 Reply Admin

Terinary? Terninary? If you are going to make fun of people using ternary operators, you should at least know how to spell it.

urkerab · 2014-10-07 Reply Admin

cbretana:
much better however, would be:
payRecordsList.Add( string.Format("{0:dd/MM/yyyy} to {1:dd/MM/yyyy} : {2} ({3}){4}". payRecord.DateStarted, payRecord.DateLeft == null? "Present": payRecord.DateLeft, payRecord.Department.PayrollCompany.CompanyName, payRecord.PayFrequency, includePayrollIDinResult ? "|" + payRecord.Department.PayrollCompanyID, payRecord.ID)

How do you format "Present" with a dd/MM/yyyy format? I'd try this:

payRecordsList.Add(
     string.Format(payRecord.DateLeft == null ?
              "{0:dd/MM/yyyy} to Present : {2} ({3}){4}" :
              "{0:dd/MM/yyyy} to {1:dd/MM/yyyy} : {2} ({3}){4}",
          payRecord.DateStarted, 
          payRecord.DateLeft,
          payRecord.Department.PayrollCompany.CompanyName, 
          payRecord.PayFrequency,
          includePayrollIDinResult ? "|" + payRecord.Department.PayrollCompanyID : "",
     payRecord.ID)

mark_bowytz · 2014-10-07 Reply Admin

Zylon:
Dear Mr. Bowytz,
Your opinion on this matter might carry a smidge more weight if you were capable of spelling ternary correctly more than 1/3 of the time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woySeSNBL3o

FrostCat · 2014-10-07 Reply Admin

At least he gets it right one triceth of the time.

Ternary Operator Nesting Syndrome

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