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Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions

From "Richard Cornford" <Richard@litotes.demon.co.uk>
Newsgroups comp.lang.javascript
References <bd12b66f-33f5-43d2-8e22-6f81b42c3d8b@n14g2000vbn.googlegroups.com> <rYKdncJ8NIQbtyHTnZ2dnUVZ8rmdnZ2d@brightview.co.uk> <i8udnZ_j4_W38yHTnZ2dnUVZ8tydnZ2d@giganews.com> <igfsb7dbrl2oifb5jl4hj8124h67omn959@4ax.com>
Subject Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions
Date 2011-11-12 19:19 +0000
Message-ID <TJydnS7Bc-tPWyPTnZ2dnUVZ8oidnZ2d@giganews.com> (permalink)

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Hans-Georg Michna wrote:
> On Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:36:57 -0000, Richard Cornford wrote:
>
>>Welcome to the low entry cost world of browser scripting.
>>
>>So, an illustration, but which one? Try this, go to
>><URL: http://www.google.com/codesearch >
>>and in the search box at the top of the page enter the following
>>line:-
>>
>>typeof\s*\(?\s*[\S]+\s*\)?\s*(!|=)==?\s*("|')array("|') 
>>lang:javascript
>>
>>- and do the search. It gets 4,000+ results (including from
>> a cross-section of 'popular' libraries) along the lines of:-
>
> Nice! I just got 19,000+ hits. Strange that it varies so much.

Google don't have the best of records when it comes to programming 
adding up, so varying result counts shouldn't be too unexpected. On the 
other hand, back in 2009 when I last posted about using Google's code 
search to look for this code (using the same regular expression) the 
number of hits were coming up at around 2,000. So it does appear that 
this particular cargo cult  programming example is still propagating 
(even if the worst offenders have since learnt enough to drop it).

> Anyway, do you have more examples? These would be good demos of
> the general ignorance towards correct JavaScript programming.
> Good for demos.

The other example that is common enough, and sufficiently distinct, that 
Google's code search will turn up examples would be found with the 
search expression:-

<scr("|')\+("|')ipt lang:javascript

- of which a representative example (from an old dojo version, and 
re-wrapped for posting) is:-

document.write(
  "<scr"+"ipt type='text/javascript' src='"+tmps[x]+"'></scr"+"ipt>"
);

The cargo-cult programming structure is the first (left-most) string 
concatenation operation. The final (right-most) string concatenation 
operation has some justification in some contexts. Its use in those 
contexts demonstrates a shallow understanding of the reasons for its use 
(as there are more efficient, shorter and more formally correct 
alternatives), and it was almost certainly that shallow understanding 
that inspired the real cargo-cult structure to the left. However, One 
context where the final (right-most) concatenation is purposeless is 
when it is found in an imported JS file, which is of course where 
Google's code search is finding it. So that too is pushing cargo-cult 
programming in the contexts where it is being found above.

Richard. 

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Thread

David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-11-10 06:09 -0800
  Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions "J.R." <groups_jr-1@yahoo.com.br> - 2011-11-10 16:57 -0200
    Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-11-10 11:54 -0800
  Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions "Ant" <not@home.today> - 2011-11-10 19:47 +0000
    Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-11-10 13:07 -0800
    Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Matt McDonald <matt@fortybelow.ca> - 2011-11-10 14:12 -0700
      Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-11-11 07:26 -0800
      Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 -   How to Measure Element Dimensions Frobernik <nospam@nospam.com> - 2011-11-17 22:43 +0000
        Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-12-02 16:08 -0800
          Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How   to Measure Element Dimensions Frobernik <nospam@nospam.com> - 2011-12-06 21:18 +0000
            Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-12-06 14:13 -0800
    Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2011-11-10 13:17 -0800
    Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions "Evertjan." <exjxw.hannivoort@interxnl.net> - 2011-11-10 22:43 +0000
    Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions "Richard Cornford" <Richard@litotes.demon.co.uk> - 2011-11-11 00:36 +0000
      Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2011-11-10 19:14 -0800
        Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions "Richard Cornford" <Richard@litotes.demon.co.uk> - 2011-11-11 09:59 +0000
          Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Gene Wirchenko <genew@ocis.net> - 2011-11-11 11:04 -0800
        Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Hans-Georg Michna <hans-georgNoEmailPlease@michna.com> - 2011-11-11 14:39 +0100
      Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Hans-Georg Michna <hans-georgNoEmailPlease@michna.com> - 2011-11-12 10:38 +0100
        Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions "Richard Cornford" <Richard@litotes.demon.co.uk> - 2011-11-12 19:19 +0000
          Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Eric Bednarz <bednarz@fahr-zur-hoelle.org> - 2011-11-12 21:07 +0100
            Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2011-11-13 00:42 +0100
            Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions "Richard Cornford" <Richard@litotes.demon.co.uk> - 2011-11-13 14:33 +0000
              Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Eric Bednarz <bednarz@fahr-zur-hoelle.org> - 2011-11-17 23:14 +0100
                Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions "Richard Cornford" <Richard@litotes.demon.co.uk> - 2011-11-17 23:55 +0000
          Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Hans-Georg Michna <hans-georgNoEmailPlease@michna.com> - 2011-11-13 20:22 +0100
        Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions RobG <rgqld@iinet.net.au> - 2011-11-13 08:29 +1000
          Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Hans-Georg Michna <hans-georgNoEmailPlease@michna.com> - 2011-11-13 20:25 +0100
            Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions RobG <rgqld@iinet.net.au> - 2011-11-13 23:05 -0800
              Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Tim Down <timdown@gmail.com> - 2011-11-14 03:41 -0800
                Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions RobG <rgqld@iinet.net.au> - 2011-11-16 16:18 -0800
                Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-12-02 16:03 -0800
              Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Hans-Georg Michna <hans-georgNoEmailPlease@michna.com> - 2011-11-15 16:52 +0100
              Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-12-02 15:54 -0800
        Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions "Jukka K. Korpela" <jkorpela@cs.tut.fi> - 2011-11-13 10:38 +0200
  Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Dr J R Stockton <reply1145@merlyn.demon.co.uk> - 2011-11-11 21:33 +0000
    Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-12-02 15:00 -0800
    Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-12-02 18:38 -0800
      Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions "J.R." <groups_jr-1@yahoo.com.br> - 2011-12-03 19:50 -0200
        Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-12-03 15:50 -0800
        Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-12-03 16:38 -0800
          Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-12-03 17:14 -0800
            Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Hans-Georg Michna <hans-georgNoEmailPlease@michna.com> - 2011-12-04 11:07 +0100
              Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-12-04 02:45 -0800
          Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-12-04 13:37 -0800
            Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-12-04 16:01 -0800
              Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-12-04 16:28 -0800
                Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-12-04 18:56 -0800
                Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions John G Harris <john@nospam.demon.co.uk> - 2011-12-05 14:39 +0000
                Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-12-05 11:00 -0800
        Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-12-03 19:17 -0800
  Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions "J.R." <groups_jr-1@yahoo.com.br> - 2011-11-13 00:06 -0200
    Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2011-11-13 04:31 +0100
      Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions "J.R." <groups_jr-1@yahoo.com.br> - 2011-11-13 13:44 -0200
        Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2011-11-13 18:35 +0100
          Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions "J.R." <groups_jr-1@yahoo.com.br> - 2011-11-13 22:00 -0200
            Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2011-11-14 12:40 +0100
              Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions "J.R." <groups_jr-1@yahoo.com.br> - 2011-11-14 11:52 -0200
                Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2011-11-14 15:40 +0100
          Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Eric Bednarz <bednarz@fahr-zur-hoelle.org> - 2011-11-17 11:16 +0100
            Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Thomas 'PointedEars' Lahn <PointedEars@web.de> - 2011-11-17 21:06 +0100
              Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions Eric Bednarz <bednarz@fahr-zur-hoelle.org> - 2011-11-17 22:13 +0100
        Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-12-02 15:19 -0800
    Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-12-02 15:10 -0800
      Re: David Mark's Javascript Tip Du Jour - Volume #1 - Tip #1234 - How to Measure Element Dimensions David Mark <dmark.cinsoft@gmail.com> - 2011-12-02 18:04 -0800

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