Skip to main content

What's Wrong With This Statement?

Code in a textbox valid method:

IF TRIM(THIS.Value)<>TRIM(THIS.oObject.SavedValue)
THIS.oObject.SavedValue = TRIM(THIS.Value)
ENDIF


On the surface, this code may look like it should execute properly, right?

There is one approach that you might change immediately :

Sethe ControlSource property to THIS.oObject.SavedValue. This would remove the need for this code completely.

But is there anything else wrong with the statement?

When you look at the value of an object and compare it to something, it's easy to get into the habit of only changing the initial value. If THIS.Value isn't empty, then you're going to do something but in the case of the statement above, what about the comparing value? (the one stored in THIS.oObject.SavedValue)

IF "Andrew"<>"andrew"
** This code will execute
ENDIF

IF "Andrew"<>""
** This code will NEVER execute
ENDIF

As a result, the original code (that updated the value) would never execute.

A small but good thing to look for on code reviews, especially when trying to find out why code in FoxPro isn't working the way you expect it to.

Comments

Anonymous said…
This is why I never use <> when comparing for string inequality. Rather, I always write it like this:

!(value1 == value2)
April 24, 2006 at 6:10 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Elevating Project Specifications with Three Insightful ChatGPT Prompts

For developers and testers, ChatGPT, the freely accessible tool from OpenAI, is game-changing. If you want to learn a new programming language, ask for samples or have it convert your existing code. This can be done in Visual Studio Code (using GitHub CoPilot) or directly in the ChatGPT app or web site.  If you’re a tester, ChatGPT can write a test spec or actual test code (if you use Jest or Cypress) based on existing code, copied and pasted into the input area. But ChatGPT can be of huge value for analysts (whether system or business) who need to validate their needs. There’s often a disconnect between developers and analysts. Analysts complain that developers don’t build what they asked for or ask too many questions. Developers complain that analysts haven’t thought of obvious things. In these situations, ChatGPT can be a great intermediary. At its worst, it forces you to think about and then discount obvious issues. At best, it clarifies the needs into documented requirements. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Respect

Respect is something humans give to each other through personal connection. It’s the bond that forms when we recognize something—or someone—as significant, relatable, or worthy of care. This connection doesn’t have to be limited to people. There was an  article  recently that described the differing attitudes towards AI tools such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini (formerly Bard). Some people treat them like a standard search while others form a sort of personal relationship — being courteous, saying “please” and “thank you”. Occasionally, people share extra details unrelated to their question, like, ‘I’m going to a wedding. What flower goes well with a tuxedo?’ Does an AI “care” how you respond to it? Of course not — it reflects the patterns it’s trained on. Yet our interaction shapes how these tools evolve, and that influence is something we should take seriously. Most of us have all expressed frustration when an AI “hallucinates”. Real or not, the larger issue is that we have hi...
Post a Comment
Read more

Friend vs Therapist vs LLM: Shades of Grey

The conversations with AI series brings up a single point and then compares it between different LLM engines. These types of conversations were one of the many contributing factors to my writing of " Towards Consciousness " that explores the benefits and issues of creating a conscious AI. In this scenario, I was interested in seeing how an LLM might differ from a friend or therapist on issues that may have nuanced responses or contexts. In doing so, I came up with an interesting discussion on shades of grey. My Premise: Is it a bit strange to be using an LLM as a sober second thought? Every time I walk down this path of “why use an LLM to do certain things”, I come back to the alternatives that people like to say. “Why not bring it up with a friend?” A friend typically has your back or will say whatever to support their own agenda. “A therapist?” That’s someone who is “trained” to be impartial. But a computer? A computer is impartial based on two logical outcomes. If you say ...
Post a Comment
Read more