!() vs != (and $= " ")

[Path]

1) This has been bothering me for a while now.

Code: [Select]

if(%string != "test")

Code: [Select]

if(!(%string $= "test"))
Which of the two is the better option in terms of readability, syntax or function?


2) Occasionally, when I'm running through and checking values of objects, I will hit odd results on this:

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new ScriptObject(TestObjectA)
{
   Class = "TestClass";
   Name = "Test Object A";
   ValueImLookingFor = true;
}

new ScriptObject(TestObjectB)
{
   Class = "TestClass";
   Name = "Test Object B";
   // Intentionally leaving out ValueImLookingFor
}

Function TestClass::valueimlookingfor(%this)
{
    Return x ? Y : something I forgot the format
}

//leaving out packaging for sake of space
Function TestClass::doSomething(%this)
{
   If(%this.valueimlookingfor())
    //continue code
}
Regardless of the code errors that I intentionally put in there, is it safer to do %this.valueimlookingfor $= " " to check for objects that are under the same class as TestOBjectA but are missing that specific assigned value, or run a separate function to return true or false based on the variable's value or absence.

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[Dannu]

!= "string" will always return true. This is because != is for comparing numbers and when interpreting strings as numbers it will always interpret it as 0. Use !$= instead.

[Swollow]

!= "string" will always return true. This is because != is for comparing numbers and when interpreting strings as numbers it will always interpret it as 0. Use !$= instead.

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%string = "not test";

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if(%string !$= "test")
{
  //do stuff
}break it down:

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if(true)
{
  //do stuff
}

Code: [Select]

if(!(%string $= "test"))
{
  //do stuff
}break it down

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if(false != (%string $= "test"))
{
  //do stuff
}
if(false != true)
{
  //do stuff
}basically the second method is a weird round about way of doing things


would you mind elaborating what you are trying to accomplish on the second case?

[jes00]

would you mind elaborating what you are trying to accomplish on the second case?

He's wondering if it's better to do this:

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function object::isUgly(%obj)
{
      return %obj.isUgly ? true : false;
}

function myFunction(%obj)
{
      if(%obj.isUgly())
      {
            //Do stuff
      }
}
Or this:

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function myFunction(%obj)
{
      if(%obj.isUgly)
      {
            //Do stuff
      }
}

I'm assuming the second case would be ever so slightly faster.

[otto-san]

I'm assuming the second case would be ever so slightly faster.

it would be. the former would be better if you may have a case where you might want to change how isUgly behaves beyond just setting it to true/false directly (eg return a different value for isUgly if other things are true, etc)

[Path]

He's wondering if it's better to do this:

Code: [Select]

function object::isUgly(%obj)
{
      return %obj.isUgly ? true : false;
}

function myFunction(%obj)
{
      if(%obj.isUgly())
      {
            //Do stuff
      }
}
Or this:

Code: [Select]

function myFunction(%obj)
{
      if(%obj.isUgly)
      {
            //Do stuff
      }
}

I'm assuming the second case would be ever so slightly faster.

However, i'm working with a class that includes multiple objects, and some of the objects have an .isUgly value while some don't. When I try to get %obj.getUgly but the value doesn't actually exist and is null, it causes some errors.

if(%obj.isUgly) won't work correctly sometimes unless its an actual value, so I sometimes do %obj.isUgly $= " " instead

[jes00]

However, i'm working with a class that includes multiple objects, and some of the objects have an .isUgly value while some don't. When I try to get %obj.getUgly but the value doesn't actually exist and is null, it causes some errors.

if(%obj.isUgly) won't work correctly sometimes unless its an actual value, so I sometimes do %obj.isUgly $= " " instead

Using a variable that doesn't exist on an object should affect anything because you don't need to initialize variables in TorqueScript.

[Path]

Using a variable that doesn't exist on an object should affect anything because you don't need to initialize variables in TorqueScript.

so if .isUgly doesn't exist it will just resort to false

[jes00]

so if .isUgly doesn't exist it will just resort to false

Yes.