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Groups > comp.lang.java.programmer > #33154
| From | Eric Sosman <esosman@comcast-dot-net.invalid> |
|---|---|
| Newsgroups | comp.lang.java.programmer |
| Subject | Re: Never using booleans as parameters |
| Date | 2015-11-20 08:30 -0500 |
| Organization | A noiseless patient Spider |
| Message-ID | <n2n75r$9ve$1@dont-email.me> (permalink) |
| References | <87lh9tysy8.fsf@Equus.decebal.nl> |
On 11/20/2015 3:29 AM, Cecil Westerhof wrote:
> Often is said that you should never use booleans as parameters. But I
> have a function compareObjects that takes two objects and a boolean
> that signifies if the function is verbose. (Sends logging.)
>
> I could of-course define compareObjects and compareObjectsVerbose and
> instead of writing:
> compareObjects(a, b, useVerbose);
> I could write:
> if (useVerbose) {
> compareObjectsVerbose(a, b);
> } else {
> compareObjects(a, b);
> }
>
> But I do not find that cleaner code. But that could because I am not
> used to it. Would the second manner be better?
Somebody forgot to tell the authors of the Java SE classes
about this prohibition ...
When writing a method (or constructor) that takes a boolean
parameter, I'd agree that the writer should probably consider whether
there's a better design. Perhaps there should be two methods? Or
maybe two implementations of one interface? Or possibly the boolean
should be an enum instead?
But if the boolean still feels good after consideration, I'd say
go ahead and use it. As a user of the resulting class, would you
rather write
if (thing.isSafe()) {
thing.clearSafe();
} else {
thing.setSafe();
}
or
thing.setSafe(!thing.isSafe());
? (In a case like this, I often write all three methods. YMMV.)
--
esosman@comcast-dot-net.invalid
"Don't be afraid of work. Make work afraid of you." -- TLM
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Never using booleans as parameters Cecil Westerhof <Cecil@decebal.nl> - 2015-11-20 09:29 +0100
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Martin Gregorie <martin@address-in-sig.invalid> - 2015-11-20 11:54 +0000
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Eric Sosman <esosman@comcast-dot-net.invalid> - 2015-11-20 08:30 -0500
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Eric Douglas <e.d.programmer@gmail.com> - 2015-11-20 05:57 -0800
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Eric Sosman <esosman@comcast-dot-net.invalid> - 2015-11-20 09:17 -0500
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Eric Douglas <e.d.programmer@gmail.com> - 2015-11-20 05:34 -0800
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Silvio <silvio@internet.com> - 2015-11-20 18:18 +0100
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Eric Sosman <esosman@comcast-dot-net.invalid> - 2015-11-20 16:08 -0500
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Silvio <silvio@internet.com> - 2015-11-23 14:12 +0100
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Silvio <silvio@internet.com> - 2015-11-23 14:23 +0100
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Eric Sosman <esosman@comcast-dot-net.invalid> - 2015-11-23 08:42 -0500
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Silvio <silvio@internet.com> - 2015-11-23 15:14 +0100
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Eric Douglas <e.d.programmer@gmail.com> - 2015-11-23 06:10 -0800
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2015-11-29 15:45 -0500
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Martin Gregorie <martin@address-in-sig.invalid> - 2015-11-30 00:08 +0000
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2015-11-29 19:32 -0500
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2015-11-29 19:39 -0500
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Brixomatic <brixomatic@yahoo.com> - 2015-12-20 15:08 +0100
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Eric Douglas <e.d.programmer@gmail.com> - 2015-12-21 05:00 -0800
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Eric Sosman <esosman@comcast-dot-net.invalid> - 2015-12-21 08:53 -0500
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Gene Wirchenko <genew@telus.net> - 2015-11-30 10:33 -0800
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Jukka Lahtinen <jtfjdehf@hotmail.com.invalid> - 2015-12-02 15:51 +0200
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Kevin McMurtrie <mcmurtrie@pixelmemory.us> - 2015-11-23 21:55 -0800
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Eric Sosman <esosman@comcast-dot-net.invalid> - 2015-11-24 08:23 -0500
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Kevin McMurtrie <mcmurtrie@pixelmemory.us> - 2015-11-27 22:52 -0800
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2015-11-29 15:55 -0500
Re: Never using booleans as parameters leif.roar@dimnakorr.com - 2015-11-20 11:44 -0600
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Eric Douglas <e.d.programmer@gmail.com> - 2015-11-20 10:08 -0800
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2015-11-22 14:03 -0500
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Gene Wirchenko <genew@telus.net> - 2015-11-20 10:14 -0800
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Eternal Hope <laughingspam99@gmail.com> - 2015-11-22 14:27 +0000
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Kevin McMurtrie <mcmurtrie@pixelmemory.us> - 2015-11-20 20:13 -0800
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Eric Douglas <e.d.programmer@gmail.com> - 2015-11-23 04:59 -0800
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2015-11-29 15:53 -0500
Re: Never using booleans as parameters galt_57@hotmail.com - 2015-11-22 09:02 -0800
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2015-11-22 12:20 -0500
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2015-11-22 12:41 -0500
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Martin Gregorie <martin@address-in-sig.invalid> - 2015-11-22 18:06 +0000
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Gene Wirchenko <genew@telus.net> - 2015-11-25 14:21 -0800
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2015-11-29 15:58 -0500
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Gene Wirchenko <genew@telus.net> - 2015-11-30 10:39 -0800
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Brixomatic <brixomatic@yahoo.com> - 2015-11-29 16:40 +0100
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2015-11-29 16:00 -0500
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2015-11-29 19:26 -0500
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Eric Douglas <e.d.programmer@gmail.com> - 2015-11-30 06:16 -0800
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2015-11-22 14:01 -0500
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Fredrik Jonson <fredrik@jonson.org> - 2015-11-24 18:50 +0000
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Sir Hugh Jarce <hugh@example.com> - 2015-11-27 10:07 +0000
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2015-11-29 15:49 -0500
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Brixomatic <brixomatic@yahoo.com> - 2015-11-29 16:33 +0100
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Eric Sosman <esosman@comcast-dot-net.invalid> - 2015-11-29 15:57 -0500
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Arne Vajhøj <arne@vajhoej.dk> - 2015-11-29 16:01 -0500
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Brixomatic <brixomatic@yahoo.com> - 2015-12-20 15:00 +0100
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Gene Wirchenko <genew@telus.net> - 2015-12-21 10:50 -0800
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Gene Wirchenko <genew@telus.net> - 2015-11-30 10:48 -0800
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Brixomatic <brixomatic@yahoo.com> - 2015-12-20 15:44 +0100
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Gene Wirchenko <genew@telus.net> - 2015-12-21 10:56 -0800
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Eric Sosman <esosman@comcast-dot-net.invalid> - 2015-12-21 15:30 -0500
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Eric Douglas <e.d.programmer@gmail.com> - 2015-12-21 12:47 -0800
Re: Never using booleans as parameters Eric Sosman <esosman@comcast-dot-net.invalid> - 2015-12-21 16:29 -0500
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