[Gambas-user] Better use of prefixes

[Cedron Dawg]

More readable for whom?

Even between those two references there is disagreement on what the prefixes should be.  That's what I meant by non-standardized.

I am crazy, I think everybody should do it my way because it is demonstrably superior.

Here is an example:

Here is a code snippet from Settings.class, the original and one dressed up by me.  If you were a maintenance programmer or somebody trying to figure out what the code is doing, which is more readable and comprehensible?

1) Renamed Variables
2) Added explicit return values
3) Moved dims closer to their usage


(There might be a bug in this code, please check the ????? in my version.  Not sure because I don't haven't looked at what the calling routine is doing.)

I am assuming that the Return (no arguments) return a False

The Original:

Private Sub SameSetting(vOld As Variant, vNew As Variant) As Boolean
  
  Dim I As Integer
  Dim vOldVal As Variant
  Dim vNewVal As Variant
  
  If IsNull(vOld) And If IsNull(vNew) Then Return True
  If TypeOf(vOld) <> gb.Object And If TypeOf(vNew) <> gb.Object Then Return vOld = vNew

  If Not (vOld Is Array) Then Return
  If Not (vNew Is Array) Then Return
  If vOld.Count <> vNew.Count Then Return
  If vOld = vNew Then Return
  
  For I = 0 To vOld.Max
    vOldVal = vOld[I]
    vNewVal = vNew[I]
    If TypeOf(vOldVal) = gb.Object Or If TypeOf(vNewVal) = gb.Object Then Return
    If vOldVal <> vNewVal Then Return
  Next
  
  Return True
  
End


Here is how I would have code it:  (Notice how the spaces inside the parentheses also improve readability.)


'=============================================================================
Private Sub SameSetting( argOldValues As Variant, argNewValues As Variant ) As Boolean

'---- Bail as Matching if Both Null

        If IsNull( argOldValues ) And If IsNull( argNewValues ) Then Return True

'---- Bail On Simple Variables Comparison

        If TypeOf( argOldValues ) <> gb.Object And If TypeOf( argNewValues ) <> gb.Object Then Return ( argOldValues = argNewValues )

'---- Bail as not Matching on Non-Array Objects

        If Not ( argOldValues Is Array ) Then Return False
        If Not ( argNewValues Is Array ) Then Return False

'---- Bail as not Matching on Count Comparison

        If argOldValues.Count <> argNewValues.Count Then Return False
        If argOldValues = argNewValues Then Return True '??????????   Same Array should be True, No?

'---- Bail on any Mismatched Array Elements

        Dim i As Integer
        Dim theOldValue As Variant
        Dim theNewValue As Variant

        For i = 0 To argOldValues.Max
          theOldValue = argOldValues[i]
          theNewValue = argNewValues[i]
          If TypeOf(theOldValue) = gb.Object Or If TypeOf(theNewValue) = gb.Object Then Return False
          If theOldValue <> theNewValue Then Return False
        Next

'---- Exit as Matching

        Return True
  
End
'=============================================================================


----- Original Message -----
From: "Gianluigi" <bagonergi at gmail.com>
To: "user" <user at lists.gambas-basic.org>
Sent: Saturday, March 16, 2019 1:25:08 PM
Subject: Re: [Gambas-user] Better use of prefixes

[ http://gambaswiki.org/wiki/doc/namingconvention?ht=prefix | http://gambaswiki.org/wiki/doc/namingconvention?ht=prefix ] 
[ http://gambaswiki.org/wiki/doc/naming | http://gambaswiki.org/wiki/doc/naming ] 
I try to follow these conventions and I'm happy if others do, so the code is more readable. 

Regards 
Gianluigi