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  4. Best Practices turned into Coding Horrors.

Best Practices turned into Coding Horrors.

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  • P Paulo Zemek

    It is a well known good practice to use StringBuilders instead of doing many string concatenations. Yet, I got really impressed when I saw a document telling to replace things like this:

    private const string SQL =
    "SELECT " +
    " ID, " +
    " NAME, " +
    " BIRTHDAY " +
    "FROM " +
    " TABLE " +
    "WHERE " +
    " NAME LIKE @PARAM";

    By creating the StringBuilder everytime in the method where the SQL was being used. Maybe I am wrong :doh: , but I really believe consts aren't doing bad string concatenations all the time.

    B Offline
    B Offline
    Brisingr Aerowing
    wrote on last edited by
    #2

    Yeah. The compiler should concatenate all of those together when run. So using a stringbuilder everywhere that was used basically shows the person (people?) that wrote the document had no clue as to what they were talking about. Basically:

    BRAINWAVE/1.0
    Status-Code: 404
    Status-Text: The requested brain could not be found. It may have been deleted or never installed.

    So there.

    Gryphons Are Awesome! ‮Gryphons Are Awesome!‬

    T 1 Reply Last reply
    0
    • P Paulo Zemek

      It is a well known good practice to use StringBuilders instead of doing many string concatenations. Yet, I got really impressed when I saw a document telling to replace things like this:

      private const string SQL =
      "SELECT " +
      " ID, " +
      " NAME, " +
      " BIRTHDAY " +
      "FROM " +
      " TABLE " +
      "WHERE " +
      " NAME LIKE @PARAM";

      By creating the StringBuilder everytime in the method where the SQL was being used. Maybe I am wrong :doh: , but I really believe consts aren't doing bad string concatenations all the time.

      R Offline
      R Offline
      R Giskard Reventlov
      wrote on last edited by
      #3

      But why would anyone write it like that in the first place??? It's horrible. And let's not even begin to talk about why it should be a stored procedure...

      "If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur." Red Adair. nils illegitimus carborundum me, me, me

      P B J B 4 Replies Last reply
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      • R R Giskard Reventlov

        But why would anyone write it like that in the first place??? It's horrible. And let's not even begin to talk about why it should be a stored procedure...

        "If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur." Red Adair. nils illegitimus carborundum me, me, me

        P Offline
        P Offline
        Paulo Zemek
        wrote on last edited by
        #4

        Simple... "best practices". :laugh:

        1 Reply Last reply
        0
        • P Paulo Zemek

          It is a well known good practice to use StringBuilders instead of doing many string concatenations. Yet, I got really impressed when I saw a document telling to replace things like this:

          private const string SQL =
          "SELECT " +
          " ID, " +
          " NAME, " +
          " BIRTHDAY " +
          "FROM " +
          " TABLE " +
          "WHERE " +
          " NAME LIKE @PARAM";

          By creating the StringBuilder everytime in the method where the SQL was being used. Maybe I am wrong :doh: , but I really believe consts aren't doing bad string concatenations all the time.

          M Offline
          M Offline
          MacSpudster
          wrote on last edited by
          #5

          Yeah, this code is incredibly silly. Anybody knows it should be private static readonly string SQL = ;P

          P 1 Reply Last reply
          0
          • M MacSpudster

            Yeah, this code is incredibly silly. Anybody knows it should be private static readonly string SQL = ;P

            P Offline
            P Offline
            Paulo Zemek
            wrote on last edited by
            #6

            I don't know if you are being serious or if you are joking, after all, you are saying something intermediary... it is not an horror, but it is not right... it's strange.

            M 1 Reply Last reply
            0
            • P Paulo Zemek

              I don't know if you are being serious or if you are joking, after all, you are saying something intermediary... it is not an horror, but it is not right... it's strange.

              M Offline
              M Offline
              MacSpudster
              wrote on last edited by
              #7

              Edited my post... ;P

              1 Reply Last reply
              0
              • P Paulo Zemek

                It is a well known good practice to use StringBuilders instead of doing many string concatenations. Yet, I got really impressed when I saw a document telling to replace things like this:

                private const string SQL =
                "SELECT " +
                " ID, " +
                " NAME, " +
                " BIRTHDAY " +
                "FROM " +
                " TABLE " +
                "WHERE " +
                " NAME LIKE @PARAM";

                By creating the StringBuilder everytime in the method where the SQL was being used. Maybe I am wrong :doh: , but I really believe consts aren't doing bad string concatenations all the time.

                P Offline
                P Offline
                PIEBALDconsult
                wrote on last edited by
                #8

                Indeed, not a candidate for StringBuilderhood. And I write it as

                private const string SQL =
                @"
                SELECT ID
                , NAME
                , BIRTHDAY
                FROM TABLE
                WHERE NAME LIKE @PARAM
                " ;

                so it prints out nice in error messages [added>>] and I can very easily copy/paste it between a code file and SSMS or other SQL executor.

                B J K 3 Replies Last reply
                0
                • R R Giskard Reventlov

                  But why would anyone write it like that in the first place??? It's horrible. And let's not even begin to talk about why it should be a stored procedure...

                  "If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur." Red Adair. nils illegitimus carborundum me, me, me

                  B Offline
                  B Offline
                  Brady Kelly
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #9

                  I see little reason to not use a parametrized query like that. OK, if it is static enough top define a const, there is a small case against storing all your query code in the binary instead of the more accessible DB server, but not much else of a case.

                  R 1 Reply Last reply
                  0
                  • P PIEBALDconsult

                    Indeed, not a candidate for StringBuilderhood. And I write it as

                    private const string SQL =
                    @"
                    SELECT ID
                    , NAME
                    , BIRTHDAY
                    FROM TABLE
                    WHERE NAME LIKE @PARAM
                    " ;

                    so it prints out nice in error messages [added>>] and I can very easily copy/paste it between a code file and SSMS or other SQL executor.

                    B Offline
                    B Offline
                    Brady Kelly
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #10

                    :thumbsup:

                    1 Reply Last reply
                    0
                    • P Paulo Zemek

                      It is a well known good practice to use StringBuilders instead of doing many string concatenations. Yet, I got really impressed when I saw a document telling to replace things like this:

                      private const string SQL =
                      "SELECT " +
                      " ID, " +
                      " NAME, " +
                      " BIRTHDAY " +
                      "FROM " +
                      " TABLE " +
                      "WHERE " +
                      " NAME LIKE @PARAM";

                      By creating the StringBuilder everytime in the method where the SQL was being used. Maybe I am wrong :doh: , but I really believe consts aren't doing bad string concatenations all the time.

                      K Offline
                      K Offline
                      KRucker
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #11

                      The "Best Practice" is not to use string concatenation in a loop. The reason is that under the hood when concatinating two strings, a third string will be created large enough to bold both source strings. The source strings will be copied to that new string, the original string destroyed, then recreated and the contents of the temporary string copied into it, then the temporary string destroyed. The concatination that you are showing should be fine, unless it is being performed in a loop.

                      P J K 3 Replies Last reply
                      0
                      • K KRucker

                        The "Best Practice" is not to use string concatenation in a loop. The reason is that under the hood when concatinating two strings, a third string will be created large enough to bold both source strings. The source strings will be copied to that new string, the original string destroyed, then recreated and the contents of the temporary string copied into it, then the temporary string destroyed. The concatination that you are showing should be fine, unless it is being performed in a loop.

                        P Offline
                        P Offline
                        Paulo Zemek
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #12

                        You are talking about the real Best Practice. But the "Best Practice" is to replace any string concatenation, even in consts, by a StringBuilder.

                        B 1 Reply Last reply
                        0
                        • P Paulo Zemek

                          It is a well known good practice to use StringBuilders instead of doing many string concatenations. Yet, I got really impressed when I saw a document telling to replace things like this:

                          private const string SQL =
                          "SELECT " +
                          " ID, " +
                          " NAME, " +
                          " BIRTHDAY " +
                          "FROM " +
                          " TABLE " +
                          "WHERE " +
                          " NAME LIKE @PARAM";

                          By creating the StringBuilder everytime in the method where the SQL was being used. Maybe I am wrong :doh: , but I really believe consts aren't doing bad string concatenations all the time.

                          R Offline
                          R Offline
                          RafagaX
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #13

                          Well, best practices are not always the best... :doh:

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

                          C P 2 Replies Last reply
                          0
                          • B Brady Kelly

                            I see little reason to not use a parametrized query like that. OK, if it is static enough top define a const, there is a small case against storing all your query code in the binary instead of the more accessible DB server, but not much else of a case.

                            R Offline
                            R Offline
                            R Giskard Reventlov
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #14

                            It's not the end of the world, certainly; my preference is to keep databasey stuff in the database. It's just neater; besides, all those +++ and line breaks: FUGLY!!!

                            "If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur." Red Adair. nils illegitimus carborundum me, me, me

                            B 1 Reply Last reply
                            0
                            • R R Giskard Reventlov

                              But why would anyone write it like that in the first place??? It's horrible. And let's not even begin to talk about why it should be a stored procedure...

                              "If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur." Red Adair. nils illegitimus carborundum me, me, me

                              J Offline
                              J Offline
                              jschell
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #15

                              mark merrens wrote:

                              But why would anyone write it like that in the first place???

                              How else are you going to code a string which contains SQL? One really long line?

                              mark merrens wrote:

                              And let's not even begin to talk about why it should be a stored procedure...

                              Presumably you mean it should be a proc instead. Perhaps. But some procs might be rather long when expressed as a SQL string - so same problem.

                              1 Reply Last reply
                              0
                              • P PIEBALDconsult

                                Indeed, not a candidate for StringBuilderhood. And I write it as

                                private const string SQL =
                                @"
                                SELECT ID
                                , NAME
                                , BIRTHDAY
                                FROM TABLE
                                WHERE NAME LIKE @PARAM
                                " ;

                                so it prints out nice in error messages [added>>] and I can very easily copy/paste it between a code file and SSMS or other SQL executor.

                                J Offline
                                J Offline
                                jschell
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #16

                                PIEBALDconsult wrote:

                                And I write it as

                                So to be clear your code looks like the following? And this format is 'better'?

                                namespace mystuff.otherStuff
                                {
                                //---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                /// /// This is where I do database stuff
                                ///
                                //---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                public static class MyDbConstants
                                {
                                private const string SQL1 =
                                @"
                                SELECT ID
                                , NAME
                                , BIRTHDAY
                                FROM TABLE
                                WHERE NAME LIKE @PARAM
                                " ;

                                private const string SQL2 =
                                @"
                                SELECT ID
                                , NAME
                                , BIRTHDAY
                                FROM TABLE_OTHER
                                WHERE NAME LIKE @PARAM
                                " ;

                                private const string SQL3 =
                                @"
                                SELECT ID
                                , NAME
                                , BIRTHDAY
                                FROM TABLE_OTHER2
                                WHERE NAME LIKE @PARAM
                                " ;

                                // 100 other like the above with increasing complexity.

                                P B 2 Replies Last reply
                                0
                                • K KRucker

                                  The "Best Practice" is not to use string concatenation in a loop. The reason is that under the hood when concatinating two strings, a third string will be created large enough to bold both source strings. The source strings will be copied to that new string, the original string destroyed, then recreated and the contents of the temporary string copied into it, then the temporary string destroyed. The concatination that you are showing should be fine, unless it is being performed in a loop.

                                  J Offline
                                  J Offline
                                  jschell
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #17

                                  KRucker wrote:

                                  The "Best Practice" is not to use string concatenation in a loop.

                                  It still depends on what the "string" is. And it also depends on the impact of the code under use. Most of the time a builder is pointless because it does nothing but obfuscate the code.

                                  1 Reply Last reply
                                  0
                                  • R RafagaX

                                    Well, best practices are not always the best... :doh:

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

                                    C Offline
                                    C Offline
                                    Chad3F
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #18

                                    "Best practices" are "at best" someone's opinion. ;) In some cases that opinion may be shared by many, but that doesn't always make it right. After all, at one time, how many people had the opinion the world was flat and the best practice was not to sail too far out? While some things that are considered a best practice I do see reason to use over alternatives, I really don't like the idea of having an arbitrary list of "do these things for best results". They (you know, the "they" that killed Kenny) might as well call it "'boxes to use and not think outside of' practices" instead of "best practices".

                                    J K 2 Replies Last reply
                                    0
                                    • J jschell

                                      PIEBALDconsult wrote:

                                      And I write it as

                                      So to be clear your code looks like the following? And this format is 'better'?

                                      namespace mystuff.otherStuff
                                      {
                                      //---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                      /// /// This is where I do database stuff
                                      ///
                                      //---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                      public static class MyDbConstants
                                      {
                                      private const string SQL1 =
                                      @"
                                      SELECT ID
                                      , NAME
                                      , BIRTHDAY
                                      FROM TABLE
                                      WHERE NAME LIKE @PARAM
                                      " ;

                                      private const string SQL2 =
                                      @"
                                      SELECT ID
                                      , NAME
                                      , BIRTHDAY
                                      FROM TABLE_OTHER
                                      WHERE NAME LIKE @PARAM
                                      " ;

                                      private const string SQL3 =
                                      @"
                                      SELECT ID
                                      , NAME
                                      , BIRTHDAY
                                      FROM TABLE_OTHER2
                                      WHERE NAME LIKE @PARAM
                                      " ;

                                      // 100 other like the above with increasing complexity.

                                      P Offline
                                      P Offline
                                      PIEBALDconsult
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #19

                                      No, I don't use consts for SQL.

                                      J 1 Reply Last reply
                                      0
                                      • R RafagaX

                                        Well, best practices are not always the best... :doh:

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

                                        P Offline
                                        P Offline
                                        PIEBALDconsult
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #20

                                        It's best to avoid "best practices".

                                        1 Reply Last reply
                                        0
                                        • R R Giskard Reventlov

                                          It's not the end of the world, certainly; my preference is to keep databasey stuff in the database. It's just neater; besides, all those +++ and line breaks: FUGLY!!!

                                          "If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur." Red Adair. nils illegitimus carborundum me, me, me

                                          B Offline
                                          B Offline
                                          Brady Kelly
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #21

                                          Yes, he could hide the queries in resources files, not out in public code.

                                          1 Reply Last reply
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