Coding Horrors: You can gather all your technical debt into one easy framework!

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«‹›1503 »

whiskas: May 30, 2005

If any of you have ever used infragistics this is all too common:

# ? Aug 20, 2008 17:02

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# ? May 13, 2024 23:25

Rottbott: Jul 27, 2006; DMC

void RaceCollision(_Bool Collide) { if (Collide) { CleanRace = FALSE; CleanLap = FALSE; } }

Called from exactly one place in the entire game, with the parameter set to TRUE. It even had a completely useless timer on it to stop it being called repeatedly during an ongoing collision.

# ? Aug 21, 2008 16:57

G-Dub: Dec 28, 2004; The Gonz

I don't have code snippets but I have recently been given the privilege of taking over development of a local intranet system in my work. The previous developer has apparent never heard of :hover, which means the navigation (table rows, naturally) is filled with javascript changing the style from a class called A to a class called AHover onmouseover, and of course back to A onmouseout.

I was speechless upon perusing the code. Am I being naive here and there was a time where Javascript had developed faster than CSS and therefore :hover didn't exist and this was the only way to do it? Even if such a time existed this was developed only 2 years ago so it's inexcusable.

Finally, when opening the site instead of just opening an HTML file you open an HTA file, which is apparently an HTML Application. Is this ever excusable?

Thankfully I am close to getting the goahead to start from scratch. Unfortunately they are not very willing to give me a (L)AMP setup

# ? Aug 22, 2008 02:06

pokeyman: Nov 26, 2006; That elephant ate my entire platoon.

G-Dub posted:

Finally, when opening the site instead of just opening an HTML file you open an HTA file, which is apparently an HTML Application. Is this ever excusable?

Maybe it's doing some really cool fuckery that you can't do with non-application HTML.

I don't have a clue what such fuckery would look like, but who am I to say it doesn't exist.

# ? Aug 22, 2008 02:20

biznatchio: Mar 31, 2001; Buglord

pokeyman posted:

Maybe it's doing some really cool fuckery that you can't do with non-application HTML. I don't have a clue what such fuckery would look like, but who am I to say it doesn't exist.

I've used more than a couple HTAs. Javascript running in an HTA has pretty much full system access -- if you can do it with a standalone .js file running through the Windows Scripting Host, you can do it in an HTA.

Local files, printers, system administration, and Office automation (well, any COM automation) are all examples of reasons you'd want an HTA; and since an HTA can include an IFRAME and optionally pass full application-level permission to it, it allows you to grant those extended privileges to any arbitrary URL of your choice, so you can host your actual application logic on a web server somewhere for easy maintenance.

# ? Aug 22, 2008 03:07

Anonymous Name: Apr 25, 2006; by Fragmaster

G-Dub posted:

I don't have code snippets but I have recently been given the privilege of taking over development of a local intranet system in my work. The previous developer has apparent never heard of :hover, which means the navigation (table rows, naturally) is filled with javascript changing the style from a class called A to a class called AHover onmouseover, and of course back to A onmouseout.

I was speechless upon perusing the code. Am I being naive here and there was a time where Javascript had developed faster than CSS and therefore :hover didn't exist and this was the only way to do it? Even if such a time existed this was developed only 2 years ago so it's inexcusable.

My websites use javascript instead of hover. IE does or did not support hover, and/or it does not for all elements.

Rottbott posted:

void RaceCollision(_Bool Collide) { if (Collide) { CleanRace = FALSE; CleanLap = FALSE; } }

Called from exactly one place in the entire game, with the parameter set to TRUE. It even had a completely useless timer on it to stop it being called repeatedly during an ongoing collision.

Could be worse - he could have passed FALSE.

Anonymous Name fucked around with this message at 03:55 on Aug 22, 2008

# ? Aug 22, 2008 03:49

MononcQc: May 29, 2007

Anonymous Name posted:

My websites use javascript instead of hover. IE does or did not support hover, and/or it does not for all elements.

IE7 does, and for IE5/6, the solution is csshover.htc.

code:

body { 
    behavior:url("csshover.htc"); 
}

It may pop an ActiveX thing on the top of the browser, though, but I guess it's worth it for the clean markup.

# ? Aug 22, 2008 04:09

sklnd: Nov 26, 2007; NOT A TRACTOR

This isn't so much a coding horror as it is a process horror. We're out of development and feature integration testing (where developers have pretty free reign over what gets checked in and put into the weekly build), and started a large test cycle two weeks ago. In test, all changes have to be associated with a bug and approved by a change control board.

I'm the build monkey, so I look at all the changes made and make sure they're associated with a bug and a note has been put into the release notes we generate each week.

One of our developers checked in a file with the comment "Prettier code". I've been burned by little changes made by this particular person in the past, when he went on vacation just before the build was done, and a small logging change broke some major functionality in our product. I had to dig in and fix it, and it wasn't a huge deal, but I now diff a lot of his smaller check-ins to make sure I understand what's going in each week and that its not busted. (I don't have time or patience to code-review the bigger stuff)

The prettier code:

code:

*(unsigned*)mVarName = varname;

became

code:

*(unsigned*)&mVarName[0] = varname;

The guy's a great developer and has lots of experience and all, but getting the guy to abide by a little bit of process is like herding cats.

# ? Aug 22, 2008 04:52

Fenderbender: Oct 10, 2003; You have the right to remain silent.

Edit: Disregard what was here. I've compiled a nice list during this development cycle I'll post.

# ? Aug 22, 2008 15:58

beuges: Jul 4, 2005; fluffy bunny butterfly broomstick

Since enum's always increment by 1 unless you specify a value, maybe somebody can explain why the Windows Media Player sdk headers are full of stuff like this?

code:

typedef /* [public][helpstring] */ 
enum WMPPlayState
    {	wmppsUndefined	= 0,
	wmppsStopped	= ( wmppsUndefined + 1 ) ,
	wmppsPaused	= ( wmppsStopped + 1 ) ,
	wmppsPlaying	= ( wmppsPaused + 1 ) ,
	wmppsScanForward	= ( wmppsPlaying + 1 ) ,
	wmppsScanReverse	= ( wmppsScanForward + 1 ) ,
	wmppsBuffering	= ( wmppsScanReverse + 1 ) ,
	wmppsWaiting	= ( wmppsBuffering + 1 ) ,
	wmppsMediaEnded	= ( wmppsWaiting + 1 ) ,
	wmppsTransitioning	= ( wmppsMediaEnded + 1 ) ,
	wmppsReady	= ( wmppsTransitioning + 1 ) ,
	wmppsReconnecting	= ( wmppsReady + 1 ) ,
	wmppsLast	= ( wmppsReconnecting + 1 ) 
    } 	WMPPlayState;

# ? Aug 23, 2008 15:09

Mustach: Mar 2, 2003; In this long line, there's been some real strange genes. You've got 'em all, with some extras thrown in.

Either the headers date back to some ancient and barely-standard-conforming VC, were tool-generated, or were jerk-generated.

# ? Aug 25, 2008 19:06

mynameisntneo: Sep 12, 2006; Mr. Anderson

$condition and $other_condition are always true or false.

php:

<?
  if($condition ? true : $other_condition) {
    do_something();
  }
?>

Why isn't || good enough?

# ? Aug 25, 2008 19:42

StickGuy: Dec 9, 2000; We are on an expedicion. Find the moon is our mission.

mynameisntneo posted:

Why isn't || good enough?

It's not optimized savagely enough.

# ? Aug 25, 2008 20:15

Karanth: Dec 25, 2003; I need to finish Xenogears sometime, damn it.

Mustach posted:

Either the headers date back to some ancient and barely-standard-conforming VC, were tool-generated, or were jerk-generated.

Ever actually watch someone write C++ by VC6 wizard? Using the mouse more than the keyboard?

It is one of the most surreal and depressing experiences I've ever had. :smith:

# ? Aug 26, 2008 07:51

Arconom: Jun 27, 2006; Edouard Joseph Gilliath 1417 - 1460 Battle of Arkinholm risen again to protect

code:

020-DRIVER.
    MOVE "DRIVER" TO DML-ERR-PARA.
    IF WS-OPT = 'P' OR 'L'
       GO FIND-EQPP
    ELSE
       GO FIND-ACFT
    END-IF.

    PERFORM PROCESS-EQPP.

    IF EQPP-NOT-VALID
       GO SOMEOTHERPROGRAM
    ELSE
       GO PRINT-EQPP
    END-IF.

I really hate maintaining COBOL. It's very tedious trying to figure out where someone's logic is going. Most of the time I spend on a problem is tracing logic backward and forward, from one program to another, hoping the procession of go to statements will someday come to an end.

edit: For some reason my indentation isn't showing up.
edit: Awesome...[code] tags are cool. You can tell I don't use tags very often/at all

Arconom fucked around with this message at 04:56 on Aug 27, 2008

# ? Aug 27, 2008 04:13

Sivart13: May 18, 2003; I have neglected to come up with a clever title

Arconom posted:

edit: For some reason my indentation isn't showing up.

Put it in [code] tags.

I get the feeling even posting the best-written COBOL you could find would still be valid for this thread.

# ? Aug 27, 2008 04:46

Munkeymon: Aug 14, 2003; Motherfucker's got an
armor-piercing crowbar! Rigoddamndicu𝜆ous.

Sivart13 posted:

I get the feeling even posting the best-written COBOL you could find would still be valid for this thread.

Actually, if this:

code:

IF WS-OPT = 'P' OR 'L'

does what it looks like it does, then that's kind of nice, actually. Explicitly writing out things like if(something == A || something == F) always kind of bugged me for some reason.

# ? Aug 27, 2008 14:49

Arconom: Jun 27, 2006; Edouard Joseph Gilliath 1417 - 1460 Battle of Arkinholm risen again to protect

COBOL has its neat features, but its archaic structure and design more than make up for it. I haven't used OOCOBOL yet. Maybe it will be pretty cool.

# ? Aug 27, 2008 15:16

Thots and Prayers: Jul 13, 2006; A is the for the atrocious abominated acts that YOu committed. A is also for ass-i-nine, eight, seven, and six.

B, b, b - b is for your belligerent, bitchy, bottomless state of affairs, but why?

C is for the cantankerous condition of our character, you have no cut-out.; Grimey Drawer

Munkeymon posted:

Actually, if this:
code:
IF WS-OPT = 'P' OR 'L'
does what it looks like it does, then that's kind of nice, actually. Explicitly writing out things like if(something == A || something == F) always kind of bugged me for some reason.

When I was a Junior Programmer, this was always my biggest pet peeve. The former is so natural I could never understand why it wasn't supported more.

I've been beaten down by code for so long I've almost forgotten how wonderful those early days were.

# ? Aug 27, 2008 15:40

ashgromnies: Jun 19, 2004

Zaasakokwaan posted:

When I was a Junior Programmer, this was always my biggest pet peeve. The former is so natural I could never understand why it wasn't supported more.

I've been beaten down by code for so long I've almost forgotten how wonderful those early days were.

Wouldn't that kill the English readability of something like:

code:

if ($user->is_valid() && $user->has_enough_money()){

though? You'd need to make it

code:

if ($user->is_valid() == 1 && $user->has_enough_money() == 1){

which I don't like! It kills the readability of boolean expressions, and I'm also not sure of how it would work in dynamic languages where if($var) and if($var == 1) are completely different.

# ? Aug 27, 2008 15:52

JoeNotCharles: Mar 3, 2005; Yet beyond each tree there are only more trees.

That's what the "in" operator's for. "if ws_opt in ['p', 'l']"

# ? Aug 27, 2008 16:24

Midelne: Jun 19, 2002; I shouldn't trust the phones. They're full of gas.

Sivart13 posted:

I get the feeling even posting the best-written COBOL you could find would still be valid for this thread.

I only work with three COBOL applications, but they're made by different companies and all of them have between sixty and two hundred uncommented batch files that are absolutely necessary for regular operation that are labeled between 1.bat and 200.bat.

# ? Aug 27, 2008 16:34

Munkeymon: Aug 14, 2003; Motherfucker's got an
armor-piercing crowbar! Rigoddamndicu𝜆ous.

ashgromnies posted:

Wouldn't that kill the English readability of something like:
code:
if ($user->is_valid() && $user->has_enough_money()){
though? You'd need to make it
code:
if ($user->is_valid() == 1 && $user->has_enough_money() == 1){
which I don't like! It kills the readability of boolean expressions, and I'm also not sure of how it would work in dynamic languages where if($var) and if($var == 1) are completely different.

I was thinking a shorthand just for this case:

code:

if(mode == [1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 8])

So ==[] is like a new operator that's really just syntactic sugar for the condition checks the compiler is going to emit anyway. That's just a quick example, though. I haven't given much thought to the 'best' way to do it.

# ? Aug 27, 2008 16:55

Volte: Oct 4, 2004; woosh woosh

Munkeymon posted:

I was thinking a shorthand just for this case:
code:
if(mode == [1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 8])
So ==[] is like a new operator that's really just syntactic sugar for the condition checks the compiler is going to emit anyway. That's just a quick example, though. I haven't given much thought to the 'best' way to do it.

Well some languages like Python have an 'in' operator. Like

code:

if mode in [1, 2, 3, 5, 8]

# ? Aug 27, 2008 16:59

Munkeymon: Aug 14, 2003; Motherfucker's got an
armor-piercing crowbar! Rigoddamndicu𝜆ous.

Volte posted:

Well some languages like Python have an 'in' operator. Like
code:
if mode in [1, 2, 3, 5, 8]

I know, but I was specifically thinking of C-style languages where ==[] might look more at home in a conditional. Also, JavaScript and C# already use in for other things.

# ? Aug 27, 2008 17:15

enki42: Jun 11, 2001; #ATMLIVESMATTER

Put this Nazi-lover on ignore immediately!

Munkeymon posted:

I know, but I was specifically thinking of C-style languages where ==[] might look more at home in a conditional. Also, JavaScript and C# already use in for other things.

It's actually pretty easy to hack up an extension method on Object for in if you really want it. I think this should work:

code:

public static bool In(this object toCompare, object[] otherObjects) {
   return otherObjects.Contains(toCompare);
}

And you can throw a couple of extra overloads to avoid the ugly array instantiation syntax:

code:

public static bool In(this object toCompare, object o1, object o2) {
   return In(new object[] {o1, o2};
}
public static bool In(this object toCompare, object o1, object o2, object o3) {
   return In(new object[] {o1, o2, o3};
}
etc.

Then just use:

code:

if (a.In(1,2,3)) {
  // do stuff.
}

// array way
if (a.In(new object[] {1,2,3,4,5}) {
   // do stuff
}

# ? Aug 27, 2008 17:26

POKEMAN SAM: Jul 8, 2004

enki42 posted:

It's actually pretty easy to hack up an extension method on Object for in if you really want it. I think this should work:
code:
public static bool In(this object toCompare, object[] otherObjects) {
   return otherObjects.Contains(toCompare);
}
And you can throw a couple of extra overloads to avoid the ugly array instantiation syntax:

Assuming this is C# and not Java (I still can't tell the difference, heh) then you don't need the overloads. You can do:

code:

public static bool In(this object toCompare, [b]params[/b] object[] otherObjects) {
   return otherObjects.Contains(toCompare);
}

Then you can just call Whatever.In(1,2,3,4,5) with however many you parameters you want.

# ? Aug 27, 2008 17:34

No Safe Word: Feb 26, 2005

Ugg boots posted:

Assuming this is C# and not Java (I still can't tell the difference, heh) then you don't need the overloads. You can do:
code:
public static bool In(this object toCompare, [b]params[/b] object[] otherObjects) {
   return otherObjects.Contains(toCompare);
}
Then you can just call Whatever.In(1,2,3,4,5) with however many you parameters you want.

Monkeypatching FTL.

# ? Aug 27, 2008 17:42

Arconom: Jun 27, 2006; Edouard Joseph Gilliath 1417 - 1460 Battle of Arkinholm risen again to protect

code:

Evaluate true
    When ws-opt = 'P'
    When ws-opt = 'R'
         move goonz to outside
    When other
         move yo-rear end to tha-kitchen
end-evaluate.

Evaluate is awesome

# ? Aug 27, 2008 17:45

Scaevolus: Apr 16, 2007

No Safe Word posted:

Monkeypatching FTL.

How is this monkeypatching?

# ? Aug 27, 2008 17:46

No Safe Word: Feb 26, 2005

Scaevolus posted:

How is this monkeypatching?

The this <typename> construct in C# is basically their way of instituting monkeypatching. They call it "extension methods" but it's the same thing, anything that includes that method's namespace gets those methods tacked on to whatever object it applies to. The only good thing that C# does instead is it doesn't allow you to override stuff, but that only makes the idea of monkeypatching slightly less crappy.

# ? Aug 27, 2008 17:52

KaeseEs: Feb 23, 2007; by Fragmaster

No Safe Word posted:

The this <typename> construct in C# is basically their way of instituting monkeypatching. They call it "extension methods" but it's the same thing, anything that includes that method's namespace gets those methods tacked on to whatever object it applies to. The only good thing that C# does instead is it doesn't allow you to override stuff, but that only makes the idea of monkeypatching slightly less crappy.

Thta's not what monkeypatching is, and don't say 'FT[WL]', this isn't slashdot

# ? Aug 27, 2008 17:55

Munkeymon: Aug 14, 2003; Motherfucker's got an
armor-piercing crowbar! Rigoddamndicu𝜆ous.

Damnit, guys. Quit bringing practical solutions to my fantasy land.

No Safe Word posted:

Monkeypatching FTL.

I don't know that it counts as monkeypatching but I still like it less than adding some shorthand to the language.

And where the hell is your avatar from?

# ? Aug 27, 2008 17:55

No Safe Word: Feb 26, 2005

KaeseEs posted:

Thta's not what monkeypatching is, and don't say 'FT[WL]', this isn't slashdot

Thanks for the geography lesson. And for the complete lack of clarification on what you think monkeypatching actually is. And for being the post police in a light-hearted thread.

Hacking methods into a class that you didn't create is, in my mind, monkeypatching. Whether it's tacking on a method or redefining an existing one.

code:

public static string this_is_not_slashdot(this string src)
{
    return src + "FTL LOL";
}

public void some_method()
{
    string s = "Something awful dot com";
    s.this_is_not_slashdot();  // wow, the core string class has a new method that
                               // won't show up in any of the core string docs!
}

edit:

Munkeymon posted:

And where the hell is your avatar from?

SNL's Digital Short "Dear Sister", I made the animation myself from screencaps

I forgot I had it because I browse with avatars off at work

No Safe Word fucked around with this message at 18:04 on Aug 27, 2008

# ? Aug 27, 2008 18:01

KaeseEs: Feb 23, 2007; by Fragmaster

For the clinically dumb, monkeypatching involves replacing poo poo. And yes, your hilarious reference to hollywood squares was both timely and enjoyable

# ? Aug 27, 2008 18:04

Munkeymon: Aug 14, 2003; Motherfucker's got an
armor-piercing crowbar! Rigoddamndicu𝜆ous.

No Safe Word posted:

Hacking into a class that you didn't create is, in my mind, monkeypatching. Whether it's tacking on a method or redefining an existing one.

The super official Wikipedia definition says it has to happen at run time which may or may not be the case depending on how they do the magic in the IL. At any rate, wouldn't that method show up in CodeSense and be type cheched at compile time, making it signifigantly safer and more visible than the traditional monkeypatch?

quote:

edit:

SNL's Digital Short "Dear Sister", I made the animation myself from screencaps

I forgot I had it because I browse with avatars off at work

Thanks, now I'll ahve to go check it out.

# ? Aug 27, 2008 18:11

KaeseEs: Feb 23, 2007; by Fragmaster

Done making GBS threads on the thread, here's a classic from php land, quoted from elsewhere:

http://use.perl.org/~Aristotle/journal/33448 posted:

This is a tale of an integer overflow vulnerability (paraphrased for the purposes of the tale, as are all following snippets):
code:
dest = calloc(EXPR, sizeof(char));
/* where EXPR is a calculation that is never checked for overflow */
Of course, the maintainers of the software in question are studious and busy types and they would not let this go unfixed for long – they instituted a check to make sure that such a thing would never happen again:
code:
int size;

size = EXPR;

if (size > INT_MAX || size <= 0) {
    return NULL;
}

dest = calloc(size, sizeof(char));
Marvelous! Now the code is safe…

…

Err, right. Undaunted and unphased by having made a mistake, they sagely nodded when they learned of it, and proceeded to implement a fix that would rid the world of this evil for good:
code:
float size;

size = PARTIAL_EXPR_1;
size *= PARTIAL_EXPR_2;
size += PARTIAL_EXPR_3;

if (size > INT_MAX || size <= 0) {
    return NULL;
}

dest = calloc((int)size, sizeof(char));
And the world was a safer pl… err… I mean: and when they also got rid of floating point round-offs, the world became a safer pla…

…

OK, people, enough of the fairy tales. How do these people even come up with this stuff?!? Testing an integer for whether it’s greater than INT_MAX ?! A float to calculate the length of a string!? I mean… I am… when I…

You can’t even parody this stuff.

This is bogosity as it belongs on DailyWTF, not into one of the most widely deployed codebases on the internet that is backed by several of the biggest corporations in IT. Please, please, someone tell me how PHP got to be as big as it is?

P.S.: oh yeah, and the current guard clause looks like this:
code:
int charsize = sizeof(char);

/* still the same float-based calculation here */

if ((size > INT_MAX || size <= 0) || ((size * charsize) > INT_MAX || (size * charsize) <= 0)) {
    return NULL;
}
Portability is important, after all.

and an encore:

php:

<?
magic_quotes_*()
addslashes()
mysql_escape_string()
mysql_real_escape_string()?>

# ? Aug 27, 2008 18:21

Volte: Oct 4, 2004; woosh woosh

I don't consider it monkeypatching because the extension method does not have any access to internal members of the class or indeed any special privileges that do not exist when the method is implemented normally. The extension method has to be in scope (i.e. imported) in order to use it, and I believe it is translated into a traditional function call in the IL. Obviously, it should be used sparingly and be documented well when it is, but it's how things like LINQ are implemented, and it's a real blessing.

# ? Aug 27, 2008 18:38

Zombywuf: Mar 29, 2008

Munkeymon posted:

Actually, if this:
code:
IF WS-OPT = 'P' OR 'L'
does what it looks like it does, then that's kind of nice, actually. Explicitly writing out things like if(something == A || something == F) always kind of bugged me for some reason.

You want Prolog:

code:

member(Something, [A, F]) -> thenstuff ; elsestuff.

This message brought to you by the Save the Prolog Foundation.

# ? Aug 27, 2008 18:50

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ? May 13, 2024 23:25

tef: May 30, 2004; -> some l-system crap ->

Re Monkeypatching:

That's nice dearie, can we take this argument and beat it to death in a new thread please? :shobon:

# ? Aug 27, 2008 18:56

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Serious Hardware/Software Crap > The Cavern of COBOL > Coding Horrors: You can gather all your technical debt into one easy framework!

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