EncodeFlags

Bernhard Hiller

An expert of programming and C# with some 25+ years of experience in software engineering wrote a really useful function:

private string EncodeFlags(EventType _eventType)
{
if (_eventType == EventType.Alarm)
{
return "A";
}
if (_eventType == EventType.PreAlarm)
{
return "P";
}
if (_eventType == EventType.Malfunction)
{
return "M";
}
return "";
}

Already this function alone is some kind of WTF. But let's look at the definition of the input parameter which he translates:

[Flags]
public enum EventType
{
None = 0,
PreAlarm = 1,
Alarm = 2,
Malfunction = 4
}

So he translates an enum with a Flags attribute to a string, ignoring the fact that they are flags, in order to store that value in a database eventually. :~ X|

KarstenK

He has a bug in in code by not returning a useful defalut value. And its also missing in the enum. If he is an expert in Solitaire I may know him? :~

Press F1 for help or google it. Greetings from Germany

PIEBALDconsult

I suspect it happened the other way around. The database was already screwed -- storing a character flag (yuck) -- but the dev is smart enough to use an enum in the code instead. However, I (not being an average bear) would add a DescriptionAttribute to each member of the enum:

[Flags]
public enum EventType
{
[Description("")]
None = 0,
[Description("P")]
PreAlarm = 1,
[Description("A")]
Alarm = 2,
[Description("M")]
Malfunction = 4
}

Then, to get the textual representation of the state, you get the Description from the enum -- and members can be added and removed to/from the enum without having to update the code. To take it a step further, I store the enum members and their textual representations in a Dictionary for easy look-up.

Richard Deeming

Surely it would be simpler to cheat? :)

public enum EventType : ushort
{
None = 0,
PreAlarm = 'P',
Alarm = 'A',
Malfunction = 'M',
}

var foo = (EventType)'P'; // foo == PreAlarm
char bar = (char)foo; // bar == 'P'

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

PIEBALDconsult

Yes. Many years ago, in C, I used a short to hold two characters for some text file parsing I needed to do.

Plamen Dragiyski

Bernhard Hiller wrote:

store that value in a database eventually.

Did I miss important new trend in databases? When did they stopped supporting integers?

F ES Sitecore

Looking at "QA" they also seem to have dropped support for dates.

Fabio Franco

PIEBALDconsult wrote:

Then, to get the textual representation of the state

It's a flagged enum, so how would he represent the state Alarm | Malfunction ?

To alcohol! The cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems - Homer Simpson ---- Our heads are round so our thoughts can change direction - Francis Picabia

Marc Clifton

Bernhard Hiller wrote:

with some 25+ years of experience in software engineering

var experience = EventType.None | EventType.Alarm | EventType.Malfunction; ;) Marc

Latest Article - Create a Dockerized Python Fiddle Web App Learning to code with python is like learning to swim with those little arm floaties. It gives you undeserved confidence and will eventually drown you. - DangerBunny Artificial intelligence is the only remedy for natural stupidity. - CDP1802

Fabio Franco

It makes no sense: 1 - There are combinations not covered by the encoder. ie Alarm | Malfunction 2 - It only makes sense to encode it if whatever is using does not support integers (or maybe it's meant to have a meaningful representation on a digital display, still what if it's alarming and malfunctioning). 3 - Should have used enum's HasFlag method. Now, an expert in C# and 25+ years in programming could only do this if he's hung over, lazy, dumb or having an idea so bright nobody can understand.

To alcohol! The cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems - Homer Simpson ---- Our heads are round so our thoughts can change direction - Francis Picabia

thund3rstruck

Bernhard Hiller wrote:

So he translates an enum with a Flags attribute to a string, ignoring the fact that they are flags, in order to store that value in a database eventually.

I learned decades ago that its a fool errand to insult the previous developer(s), especially if one was not there participating in the decision making process. There are a multitude of factors and/or external forces that impact decisions like this and arrogantly criticizing these choices accomplishes little.

Richard Deeming

It's worse than that: based on QA, they've also dropped support for parameterized queries! :rolleyes:

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

PIEBALDconsult

First, assume a legacy database schema...

PIEBALDconsult

Hear hear!

Jorgen Andersson

Especially knowing that I am also a previous developer to someone else. :rolleyes:

Wrong is evil and must be defeated. - Jeff Ello

Rob Grainger

Well spotted.

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

Bernhard Hiller

thund3rstruck wrote:

I learned decades ago that its a fool errand to insult the previous developer(s), especially if one was not there participating in the decision making process. There are a multitude of factors and/or external forces that impact decisions like this and arrogantly criticizing these choices accomplishes little.

I agree with you. I know the guy who wrote that code, and the circumstances: it's fresh code written this week. Some time ago, I discussed with him his obsession of encoding everything in magical ints or one-letter-strings, sometimes also providing "endode"/"decode" functions for converting between the magical ints and the one-letter-strings and the other way round...

Nelek

It is even worst than that, based on the QA they have also dropped support for brains

M.D.V. ;) If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about? Help me to understand what I'm saying, and I'll explain it better to you Rating helpful answers is nice, but saying thanks can be even nicer.

kalberts

Experience is the ability to recognize a mistake when you repeat it.

TheGreatAndPowerfulOz

KarstenK wrote:

useful defalut

What's that?

#SupportHeForShe Government can give you nothing but what it takes from somebody else. A government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take everything you've got, including your freedom.-Ezra Taft Benson You must accept 1 of 2 basic premises: Either we are alone in the universe or we are not alone. Either way, the implications are staggering!-Wernher von Braun