The Weird and The Wonderful

The Weird and The Wonderful forum is a place to post Coding Horrors, Worst Practices, and the occasional flash of brilliance.

We all come across code that simply boggles the mind. Lazy kludges, embarrassing mistakes, horrid workarounds and developers just not quite getting it. And then somedays we come across - or write - the truly sublime.

Post your Best, your worst, and your most interesting. But please - no programming questions . This forum is purely for amusement and discussions on code snippets. All actual programming questions will be removed.

Re: Nesting level: 9001

Chris Meech31-May-12 8:22

Chris Meech

31-May-12 8:22

This is a good example of even when there are a lot of nesting levels, the code can be formatted so that it is readable and understandable. Smile | :)

Chris Meech
I am Canadian. [heard in a local bar]

In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is. [Yogi Berra]

posting about Crystal Reports here is like discussing gay marriage on a catholic church’s website.[Nishant Sivakumar]

Re: Nesting level: 9001

harold aptroot31-May-12 9:03

harold aptroot

31-May-12 9:03

Yes, and I can't remember why I wrote it this way. It should never even have happened in the first place.

Re: Nesting level: 9001

PIEBALDconsult31-May-12 9:07

PIEBALDconsult

31-May-12 9:07

So what's the alternative?

Re: Nesting level: 9001

harold aptroot31-May-12 9:18

harold aptroot

31-May-12 9:18

Well I could have done this:

if (width <= 11 && height <= 4)
{
    size = 29;
    Spread(width, 15, 16, xpos, ypos);
}
else if (width <= 13 && height <= 5)
{
    size = 30;
    Spread(width, 13, 14, xpos, ypos);
}
else if (width <= 15 && height <= 6)
{
    size = 31;
    Spread(width, 11, 12, xpos, ypos);
}
else if (width <= 18 && height <= 7)
{
    size = 32;
    Spread(width, 9, 10, xpos, ypos);
}
else if (width <= 19 && height <= 8)
{
    size = 33;
    Spread(width, 9, 9, xpos, ypos);
}
else if (width <= 21 && height <= 10)
{
    size = 34;
    Spread(width, 8, 7, xpos, ypos);
}
else
{
    size = 34;
    SpreadCompressed(width, width > 21, height > 10, xpos, ypos);
}

Not great either, but still better I would say. At least the width and height requirements are actually grouped together with what should happen if they're met, instead of in a weird inverted way moved as far apart as possible.

Re: Nesting level: 9001

JackDingler4-Jun-12 7:26

JackDingler

4-Jun-12 7:26

Perhaps a map with a key class for width and height, and a value class for the passed parameters. Use std::map::upper_bound() to find the element you're looking for....

then it'll be dynamic with no hard coding...

Re: Nesting level: 9001

AspDotNetDev31-May-12 10:54

AspDotNetDev

31-May-12 10:54

It's over 9,000!!!!!!

I assume you have been waiting for that. Wink | ;)

Thou mewling ill-breeding pignut!

Re: Nesting level: 9001

Sander Rossel1-Jun-12 11:41

Sander Rossel

1-Jun-12 11:41

harold aptroot wrote:
code I wrote a long time ago

You dare admit that here? Poke tongue | ;-P

Although I must admit I've written something like five nested if's just today... Blush | :O

It's an OO world.

public class Naerling : Lazy<Person>{
    public void DoWork(){ throw new NotImplementedException(); }
}

Re: Nesting level: 9001

Oscar04-Jun-12 9:30

Oscar0

4-Jun-12 9:30

How about something along the lines of:

size = 29;
if(width > 11 || height > 4) size++;
if(width > 13 || height > 5) size++;
if(width > 15 || height > 6) size++;
if(width > 18 || height > 7) size++;
if(width > 19 || height > 8) size++;
if(width > 21 || height > 10) size++;

switch(size) {
  case 29: Spread(width, 15, 16, xpos, ypos); break;
  case 30: Spread(width, 13, 14, xpos, ypos); break;
  case 31: Spread(width, 11, 12, xpos, ypos); break;
  case 32: Spread(width, 9, 10, xpos, ypos); break;
  case 33: Spread(width, 9, 9, xpos, ypos); break;
  case 34: Spread(width, 8, 7, xpos, ypos); break;
  case 35: SpreadCompressed(width, width > 21, height > 10, xpos, ypos); break;
}

Re: Nesting level: 9001

harold aptroot4-Jun-12 9:42

harold aptroot

4-Jun-12 9:42

There is no size 35 though, so I'm afraid case 34 would have to be a bit ugly..

Re: Nesting level: 9001

Oscar05-Jun-12 6:41

Oscar0

5-Jun-12 6:41

Then I would amend it to:

size = 29;
if(width > 11 || height > 4) size++;
if(width > 13 || height > 5) size++;
if(width > 15 || height > 6) size++;
if(width > 18 || height > 7) size++;
if(width > 19 || height > 8) size++;
if(width > 21 || height > 10) size++;

switch(size) {
  case 29: Spread(width, 15, 16, xpos, ypos); break;
  case 30: Spread(width, 13, 14, xpos, ypos); break;
  case 31: Spread(width, 11, 12, xpos, ypos); break;
  case 32: Spread(width, 9, 10, xpos, ypos); break;
  case 33: Spread(width, 9, 9, xpos, ypos); break;
  case 34: Spread(width, 8, 7, xpos, ypos); break;
  case 35: 
    SpreadCompressed(width, width > 21, height > 10, xpos, ypos); 
    size--; //back to 34 for you
    break;

Re: Nesting level: 9001

englebart5-Jun-12 6:01

englebart

5-Jun-12 6:01

Is size used elsewhere?

I would have probably calculated a widthSize and a heightSize separately and then

size = max(widthSize, heightSize)

This approach basically replaces six || operators with one compare in the max() function.

You could have used an array, switch statement, collection or even if statements for calculating/looking up widthSize and heightSize.

switch would probably be most readable (and fastest for these datapoints).

Just go home

loctrice31-May-12 5:21

loctrice

31-May-12 5:21

I don't know what to say so :

pfft....

Rtn = ""

Rtn = Rtn & " Some text " & vbCrLf

... repeat that many times ...

Content = Rtn 'yeah, that just happened. No, Content wasn't used prior to this

MainInfo = WrapContent(Content)




Function WrapContent(connection,content)
	Rtn = ""
	Rtn = Rtn & ... logic for gathering more information (all in h4 tags) with vbCrLf ..

	if Content > "" then
		Rtn = Rtn & "" & vbCrLf
		Rtn = Rtn & Content
		xRtn = Rtn 'yeah, that's an xRtn that is never used.
		Rtn = HtmlReFormat(xRtn & vbCrLf)
	end if
	
	WrapContent = Rtn
End Function

'This may be my favorite part.
Function HtmlReFormat(Content)
	Content = Replace(Content,vbCRLF,"<br>") 'see what we do here. awesome!
	Content = Replace(Content,"  ","  ") 'yeah, not with the ;
End Function


'the way his iif is actually used in the code is horrible
' and supports messy logic:
'''' example iif ''''

Variable = trim(rs("some value"))
Variable = iif(Variable,"=","value","Something",Variable)
Variable = iif(Variable,"=","other value","Something",Variable)
Variable = iif(Variable,"=","yet another value","Something",Variable)
... a few more times ...
Variable = iif(Variable,"=","","Undefined",Variable)

'and yes, it sets it back to itself on false every time
''''''''''''''''''''''


Function IIF(sVal1, Equal, sVal2 , IfTrue, IfFalse)

	dim Rtn

	Equal = trim(Equal)


	select case Equal



		case "="

			if sVal1 = sVal2 then 

	        	    Rtn = IfTrue

  			Else

	        	    Rtn = IfFalse

			End If





		case "<"

			if sVal1 < sVal2 then 

	        	    Rtn = IfTrue

  			Else

	        	    Rtn = IfFalse

			End If



		case ">"

			if sVal1 > sVal2 then 

	        	    Rtn = IfTrue

  			Else

	        	    Rtn = IfFalse

			End If



		case "<="

			if sVal1 <= sVal2 then 

	        	    Rtn = IfTrue

  			Else

	        	    Rtn = IfFalse

			End If


		case ">="

			if sVal1 >= sVal2 then 

	        	    Rtn = IfTrue

  			Else

	        	    Rtn = IfFalse

			End If

	end select


	IIF = Rtn

End Function

If it moves, compile it

Re: Just go home

ekolis31-May-12 5:44

ekolis

31-May-12 5:44

Wow...

You should stick an Option Explicit in there and wait for the guy to come complaining about a bunch of compile errors that weren't there yesterday... Poke tongue | ;-P

And I love how he defines his own "enhanced" version of IIf...

Re: Just go home

BobJanova31-May-12 6:01

BobJanova

31-May-12 6:01

Have a 5 for the sheer level of D'Oh! | :doh:

involved in this.

Re: Just go home

loctrice31-May-12 6:17

loctrice

31-May-12 6:17

I usually don't post his code on here. There are mountains of stuff in everything he touches. My first job when I got here was to learn a couple of things he was in charge of so that SOMEONE in the company would understand what the heck is going on with them.

Everything that involves him that I have to do gives me a headache. It takes me longer to read and understand what is going on with his code than it would for me to write it again from scratch.

Funny thing is, it takes him just as long to explain his code as it would me. It's faster to read it yourself than to ask him a question about it because he has to go through the same process (re-reading, trying to figure out what the heck is going on) as I do.

Really, I can't even convey what type of coding he does.

If it moves, compile it

Re: Just go home

Chris Meech31-May-12 6:29

Chris Meech

31-May-12 6:29

loctrice wrote:
Really, I can't even convey what type of coding he does.

The term "Cowboy Coding" comes to my mind. ('cause the coder rides roughshod all over the code) Smile | :)

Re: Just go home

loctrice31-May-12 6:51

loctrice

31-May-12 6:51

I say he's not a programmer , he's a script kiddie. He can make a computer do something given enough time, but has no place in professional code.

If it moves, compile it

Re: Just go home

enhzflep31-May-12 6:30

enhzflep

31-May-12 6:30

Think I got as far as & vbCrLf before I knew it was going to be some fun.
Thanks! It certainly didn't disappoint.

Re: Just go home

Paul Conrad31-May-12 10:14

Paul Conrad

31-May-12 10:14

loctrice wrote:
I don't know what to say

I second that. Well... I know what to say, but there's too much and 99.999% of it is not really kid sister safe to say $Shucks | :-\$

"The clue train passed his station without stopping." - John Simmons / outlaw programmer

"Real programmers just throw a bunch of 1s and 0s at the computer to see what sticks" - Pete O'Hanlon

"Not only do you continue to babble nonsense, you can't even correctly remember the nonsense you babbled just minutes ago." - Rob Graham

Re: Just go home

BillW331-Jun-12 3:11

BillW33

1-Jun-12 3:11

Wow, that is some of the worst garbage code I have seen and I have seen a lot of poor code. Dead | X|

Just because the code works, it doesn't mean that it is good code.

Re: Just go home

loctrice1-Jun-12 4:08

loctrice

1-Jun-12 4:08

Trust me , this is nothing compared to his regular coding. Just a little window from what is, for him, a clean file. I just had enough of dealing with it this time and decided to post.

If it moves, compile it

Re: Just go home

BillW331-Jun-12 12:52

BillW33

1-Jun-12 12:52

My sympathies to you for having to put up with that nonsense.

Just because the code works, it doesn't mean that it is good code.

Re: Just go home

Sander Rossel1-Jun-12 11:38

Sander Rossel

1-Jun-12 11:38

This guy must be brilliant if he can write that much code! Big Grin | :-D

What's best about code such as this is it is really easy to maintain. Need to store anything? Just use Rtn! Need a new variable? Name it Rtn! Need input? Rtn! Need output? Rtn!
Rtn, your all-round coding solution, now coming to code near you!

It's an OO world.

public class Naerling : Lazy<Person>{
    public void DoWork(){ throw new NotImplementedException(); }
}

var tomorrow = ?

Christian Brüggemann29-May-12 3:05

Christian Brüggemann

29-May-12 3:05

Found this in my colleagues' code today. We had a good laugh on that Smile | :)

\\ some code

var item = values.TryGet<ITimelineItem>(3);

var dt = (DateTime)values[0];
var tomorrow = new DateTime(2012, 4, 26); // DateTime.Today.AddDays(1);

if(item != null)
\\ some more code

Re: var tomorrow = ?

leppie29-May-12 5:40

leppie

29-May-12 5:40

Christian Brüggemann wrote:
my colleague

You surely mean ex-colleague. By rough estimations, he should have been shot a few times Smile | :)

IronScheme
<small>((λ (x) `(,x ',x)) '(λ (x) `(,x ',x)))</small>

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