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  4. Switch boolean.... (reinventing if, unnecessarily)

Switch boolean.... (reinventing if, unnecessarily)

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  • R Rob Grainger

    Came across this kind of code today...

    void EnableFromValue(bool enabled)
    {
    switch (enabled) {
    case true:
    FirstControl.Enabled = true;
    SecondControl.Enabled = true;
    ...
    break;
    case false:
    FirstControl.Enabled = false;
    SecondControl.Enabled = false;
    ...
    break;
    }
    }

    I'm sure there must be a better way ;-)

    "If you don't fail at least 90 percent of the time, you're not aiming high enough." Alan Kay.

    M Offline
    M Offline
    Member 9908362
    wrote on last edited by
    #20

    FirstControl.Enabled = !FirstControl.Enabled;
    SecondControl.Enabled = !SecondControl.Enabled;

    1 Reply Last reply
    0
    • R Rob Grainger

      That's the gist of it yep. This is in an MVVM app, using a framework I architected. Sadly, one of the dev's has a habit of naming View Model fields too literally after the thing in the View, so it still ends up looking like code manipulating the view directly (and at the other extreme, a hell of a lot of business logic has polluted the view model). So, while the controls may not be called "FirstControl" etc., its really not that far off - properties with names like "CustomerListBoxSelectedCustomer". I try to clear up as much as I can as I work with stuff, but it seems some people just don't want to learn to work with architecture.

      "If you don't fail at least 90 percent of the time, you're not aiming high enough." Alan Kay.

      K Offline
      K Offline
      Kirk 10389821
      wrote on last edited by
      #21

      Code Reviews Code Reviews Code Reviews Here is a great rule. When someone gets multiple "mandatory" changes needing to be made as a result of a Code Review. Then you must review weekly, ALL of their code. This continues until they no longer require "mandatory" changes for a few weeks in a row. The goals are: 1) Slow them down 2) Get them to proactively ask people how they should code/name something 3) Show them the right way (for your group) to do things Our Code Reviews have 3 Comment Levels: - Mandatory: We will not let this stand in production, must be rewritten - Suggested: We are not thrilled, but if you can "really" defend it. - Noted: We are just making a note, take it or leave it (Variable names, Variable comments) Make Code Reviews fun. Friday starting at lunch time with pizza brought in. It helps you to detach from the depth of coding for the weekend. Besides, Code Reviews are how Good Developers help new Developers!

      1 Reply Last reply
      0
      • F Freak30

        I see a reason for the function but not for the switch statement. Except if you are paid by lines of code of course. :-D

        The good thing about pessimism is, that you are always either right or pleasently surprised.

        J Offline
        J Offline
        Jeremy Falcon
        wrote on last edited by
        #22

        Totally agree.

        Jeremy Falcon

        1 Reply Last reply
        0
        • S Scott Corbett

          Umm...that's not true. A switch will continue to fall through until you get to a break statement or the end of the switch (i.e. the default case.) On the other hand, if/else statements do bail as soon as the first passing conditional is found and the associated code block is executed.

          Scott E. Corbett

          Richard DeemingR Offline
          Richard DeemingR Offline
          Richard Deeming
          wrote on last edited by
          #23

          Scott Corbett wrote:

          A switch will continue to fall through until you get to a break statement or the end of the switch (i.e. the default case.)

          Not in C# - every case is required to have a terminating statement (break, goto, return or throw).

          switch (C# Reference)[^]:

          Unlike C++, C# does not allow execution to continue from one switch section to the next. ... C# requires the end of switch sections, including the final one, to be unreachable. That is, unlike some other languages, your code may not fall through into the next switch section.


          "These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer

          "These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined" - Homer

          S 1 Reply Last reply
          0
          • R Rob Grainger

            Came across this kind of code today...

            void EnableFromValue(bool enabled)
            {
            switch (enabled) {
            case true:
            FirstControl.Enabled = true;
            SecondControl.Enabled = true;
            ...
            break;
            case false:
            FirstControl.Enabled = false;
            SecondControl.Enabled = false;
            ...
            break;
            }
            }

            I'm sure there must be a better way ;-)

            "If you don't fail at least 90 percent of the time, you're not aiming high enough." Alan Kay.

            B Offline
            B Offline
            Basketcase Software
            wrote on last edited by
            #24

            Couldn't resist:

            void EnableFromValue(bool enabled)
            {
            FirstControl.Enabled = enabled;
            SecondControl.Enabled = enabled;
            ...
            }

            1 Reply Last reply
            0
            • S Scott Corbett

              Umm...that's not true. A switch will continue to fall through until you get to a break statement or the end of the switch (i.e. the default case.) On the other hand, if/else statements do bail as soon as the first passing conditional is found and the associated code block is executed.

              Scott E. Corbett

              T Offline
              T Offline
              ttennebb
              wrote on last edited by
              #25

              I believe a switch is just a calculated jump statement. It doesn't work it's way through all the previous possibilities. Yes. Once calculated, the program goes to the break statement then jumps out appropriately. Switch statements are quite fast. In this case, I don't see advantage either way as an if statement is very simple too.

              1 Reply Last reply
              0
              • R Rob Grainger

                Came across this kind of code today...

                void EnableFromValue(bool enabled)
                {
                switch (enabled) {
                case true:
                FirstControl.Enabled = true;
                SecondControl.Enabled = true;
                ...
                break;
                case false:
                FirstControl.Enabled = false;
                SecondControl.Enabled = false;
                ...
                break;
                }
                }

                I'm sure there must be a better way ;-)

                "If you don't fail at least 90 percent of the time, you're not aiming high enough." Alan Kay.

                J Offline
                J Offline
                Javier jimenez Rico
                wrote on last edited by
                #26

                it is simple : void EnableFromValue(bool ?enabled) { FirstControl.Enabled=enabled.HasValue?enabled.Value:false; SecondControl.Enabled=enabled.HasValue?enabled.Value:false; }

                M 1 Reply Last reply
                0
                • J Javier jimenez Rico

                  it is simple : void EnableFromValue(bool ?enabled) { FirstControl.Enabled=enabled.HasValue?enabled.Value:false; SecondControl.Enabled=enabled.HasValue?enabled.Value:false; }

                  M Offline
                  M Offline
                  Member 11594914
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #27

                  This works for me FirstControl.Enabled = SecondControl.Enabled = (enabled) ? false : true;

                  D 1 Reply Last reply
                  0
                  • F Freak30

                    I see a reason for the function but not for the switch statement. Except if you are paid by lines of code of course. :-D

                    The good thing about pessimism is, that you are always either right or pleasently surprised.

                    B Offline
                    B Offline
                    Bruce Patin
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #28

                    I have code like that. It is the "..." that is significant. For some objects, you can't just set enable = false, you have to do other things. And, in some cases, one switch branch will enable some fields and disable others.

                    J 1 Reply Last reply
                    0
                    • S Silvabolt

                      So better way is this?

                      FirstControl.Enabled = enabled;
                      SecondControl.Enabled = enabled;

                      or better yet, MVVM would help if applicable to the app.

                      B Offline
                      B Offline
                      Bruce Patin
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #29

                      I have code like that, but sometimes it is not so simple. Not all objects have an "enabled" property, and sometimes I may need to enable some and disable others. Keeping the switch, or at least an "if ... else" structure, makes for more clarity, just in case these oddball things are necessary.

                      1 Reply Last reply
                      0
                      • M Member 11594914

                        This works for me FirstControl.Enabled = SecondControl.Enabled = (enabled) ? false : true;

                        D Offline
                        D Offline
                        DanKorn
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #30

                        LOL! I recently went through my company's entire code base to purge out constructs such as "? true : false". Even more fun were comparisons such as "if (some_int_var == TRUE)". That's great unless, say "TRUE" is defined as 1 and your variable is set to -1.

                        M 1 Reply Last reply
                        0
                        • B Bruce Patin

                          I have code like that. It is the "..." that is significant. For some objects, you can't just set enable = false, you have to do other things. And, in some cases, one switch branch will enable some fields and disable others.

                          J Offline
                          J Offline
                          jibalt
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #31

                          So do other things in the switch, but set the common values just once outside the switch ... duh. It's the DRY principle, and duplicating the code in each branch of the switch is not only stupid, but error prone.

                          T 1 Reply Last reply
                          0
                          • D DanKorn

                            LOL! I recently went through my company's entire code base to purge out constructs such as "? true : false". Even more fun were comparisons such as "if (some_int_var == TRUE)". That's great unless, say "TRUE" is defined as 1 and your variable is set to -1.

                            M Offline
                            M Offline
                            Member 11594914
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #32

                            Look. this construct is a perfect alternating on/off switch. I've used it exclusively over past 10 years. There is no valid reason not to use it, especially if you favor Clean, concise, easy to understand code. Different strokes ... Tony d

                            D 1 Reply Last reply
                            0
                            • M Member 11594914

                              Look. this construct is a perfect alternating on/off switch. I've used it exclusively over past 10 years. There is no valid reason not to use it, especially if you favor Clean, concise, easy to understand code. Different strokes ... Tony d

                              D Offline
                              D Offline
                              DanKorn
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #33

                              No, "? false : true" is still superfluous. Just use ! (the not operator). It's certainly more concise, and I would argue, even cleaner and easier to understand. FirstControl.Enabled = SecondControl.Enabled = !enabled;

                              M 1 Reply Last reply
                              0
                              • D DanKorn

                                No, "? false : true" is still superfluous. Just use ! (the not operator). It's certainly more concise, and I would argue, even cleaner and easier to understand. FirstControl.Enabled = SecondControl.Enabled = !enabled;

                                M Offline
                                M Offline
                                Member 11594914
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #34

                                Hey Dan love the use of Boolean operators. Used them extensively in the old mainframe days when storage was measured in megabytes. When working with 16mb system storage every byte counted. Here's an old trick to save bytes a *-6, ctr. Used this in 360/370 mainframes since adding the opcode (numeric value of 1) would save 1 byte. nice chatting with a knowledgeable tech

                                1 Reply Last reply
                                0
                                • S Silvabolt

                                  So better way is this?

                                  FirstControl.Enabled = enabled;
                                  SecondControl.Enabled = enabled;

                                  or better yet, MVVM would help if applicable to the app.

                                  C Offline
                                  C Offline
                                  cramotowski
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #35

                                  FirstControl.Enabled = SecondControl.Enabled = enabled;

                                  1 Reply Last reply
                                  0
                                  • R Rob Grainger

                                    Came across this kind of code today...

                                    void EnableFromValue(bool enabled)
                                    {
                                    switch (enabled) {
                                    case true:
                                    FirstControl.Enabled = true;
                                    SecondControl.Enabled = true;
                                    ...
                                    break;
                                    case false:
                                    FirstControl.Enabled = false;
                                    SecondControl.Enabled = false;
                                    ...
                                    break;
                                    }
                                    }

                                    I'm sure there must be a better way ;-)

                                    "If you don't fail at least 90 percent of the time, you're not aiming high enough." Alan Kay.

                                    A Offline
                                    A Offline
                                    Al Chak
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #36

                                    If you are sure that the function argument named enabled is bool forever? If yes than there is no reason for the switch. If chacne to change the argument type is exist so - I would add into the switch

                                    default:
                                    FirstControl.Enabled = enabled;
                                    SecondControl.Enabled = enabled; // :laugh:

                                    Richard DeemingR 1 Reply Last reply
                                    0
                                    • S Scott Corbett

                                      Umm...that's not true. A switch will continue to fall through until you get to a break statement or the end of the switch (i.e. the default case.) On the other hand, if/else statements do bail as soon as the first passing conditional is found and the associated code block is executed.

                                      Scott E. Corbett

                                      S Offline
                                      S Offline
                                      Simon ORiordan from UK
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #37

                                      Well I kind of assumed you knew how to write a switch.

                                      1 Reply Last reply
                                      0
                                      • A Al Chak

                                        If you are sure that the function argument named enabled is bool forever? If yes than there is no reason for the switch. If chacne to change the argument type is exist so - I would add into the switch

                                        default:
                                        FirstControl.Enabled = enabled;
                                        SecondControl.Enabled = enabled; // :laugh:

                                        Richard DeemingR Offline
                                        Richard DeemingR Offline
                                        Richard Deeming
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #38

                                        Al Chak wrote:

                                        If chacne to change the argument type is exist so - I would add into the switch

                                        There's no reason to add a switch statement now just in case the argument type changes in six months. Add the switch when you need it - ie: when the argument type changes. :)


                                        "These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer

                                        "These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined" - Homer

                                        1 Reply Last reply
                                        0
                                        • Richard DeemingR Richard Deeming

                                          Scott Corbett wrote:

                                          A switch will continue to fall through until you get to a break statement or the end of the switch (i.e. the default case.)

                                          Not in C# - every case is required to have a terminating statement (break, goto, return or throw).

                                          switch (C# Reference)[^]:

                                          Unlike C++, C# does not allow execution to continue from one switch section to the next. ... C# requires the end of switch sections, including the final one, to be unreachable. That is, unlike some other languages, your code may not fall through into the next switch section.


                                          "These people looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined." - Homer

                                          S Offline
                                          S Offline
                                          Scott Corbett
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #39

                                          You're right about the switch case and fall through. Been spending too much time playing with C++ lately. My apologies.

                                          Scott E. Corbett

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