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Groups > comp.lang.java.programmer > #33178

Re: Never using booleans as parameters

From Martin Gregorie <martin@address-in-sig.invalid>
Newsgroups comp.lang.java.programmer
Subject Re: Never using booleans as parameters
Date 2015-11-22 18:06 +0000
Organization A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID <n2t07p$n8t$1@dont-email.me> (permalink)
References <87lh9tysy8.fsf@Equus.decebal.nl> <boolean-20151120181620@ram.dialup.fu-berlin.de> <n2sunp$soh$1@speranza.aioe.org>

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On Sun, 22 Nov 2015 12:41:14 -0500, Arne Vajhøj wrote:

> On 11/20/2015 12:17 PM, Stefan Ram wrote:
>> Cecil Westerhof <Cecil@decebal.nl> writes:
>>> compareObjects(a, b, useVerbose);
>>
>>    That's alright. Just don't use boolean literals, such as:
>>
>>        compareObjects( a, b, false );
>>
>>    . Instead write:
>>
>>        { final boolean verbose = false;
>>          compareObjects( a, b, verbose ); }
> 
> The literals question is not specific for boolean at all.
> 
> engine.process(1, false);
> 
> is difficult to read (you either need to remember what those parameters
> means or rely on an IDE to provide the information as mouse over), but
> the int is just as difficult to read as the boolean.
> 
> Furthermore the solution specified is not optimal in my opinion.
> 
> The best solution is probably the classic:
> 
> private static final int ONE_THREAD = 1;
> private static final boolean VERBOSE_OFF = false;
> ...
> engine.process(ONE_THREAD, VERBOSE_OFF);
> 
> as it documents what the parameters are.
> 
> final int ONE_THREAD = 1;
> final boolean VERBOSE_OFF = false;
> engine.process(ONE_THREAD, VERBOSE_OFF);
> 
> is not as good in my opinion. For two reasons:
> 1) it adds extra unnecessary lines to what the reader have
>     to read when reading the code
> 2) it is not (as) ready for using the same value for multiple
>     method calls
> 
> Note that the readability argument against literals can be almost
> eliminated by a different design:
> 
> engine.setThreads(1);
> engine.setVerbose(false);
> engine.process();
> 
> Some will still dislike the literals, but I do not see a readability
> issue.
> 
> The arguments against the construct will be the reusability and the
> consistency.
> 
> But I do not see that construct as really bad.
> 
> Note that many other languages allows named parameters to do the same.
> 
> Syntax like:
> 
> engine.process(threads := 1, verbose := false);
> 
> Arne

+1

-- 
martin@   | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org       |

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Thread

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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