Att Trejder and inverse boolean tests

In this comment:

http://www.yiiframew…n/config/#c2262

Trejder writes:

I wanted to comment on the comment, but I thought I’d just post it here.

That’s a very good coding practice!

I tend to forget it constantly - mainly due to the fact that it just feels very unnatural - but it’s awesome because it is not possible to accidentally assign something.

This would pass but accidentally change the variable:

if($cache = false)

This wouldn’t:

if(false = $cache)

So, it’s a good practice. IMO.

It’s easier to shoot yourself if you don’t use this inverse test technique, if you use non-strict comparison operators, like ‘==’.

Late at night, it’s hard to spot the difference between ‘==’ and ‘=’ …

The technique above is a better-safe-than-sorry approach.

Forgot to mention the rationale:

Put the constant on the right hand side.

Since you can’t assign to a constant, it will fail if you accidentally write ‘=’ instead of ‘==’.

It’s awful to write

if ($var == true) { ... }

instead of

if ($var) { ... }

IMHO of course…

That really depends on how $var is initialized and what type it is.

I tend to use the if($var) form myself - but sometimes it bites you in the rear.

And if you are comparing it as a boolean, empty/non-empty or other type/constant.

IMO.

I’m mainly using this style… it comes handy with other data comparison… not too much with boolean…

but for example

if(null==$var)

or

if(10==$var)

or

if(User::STATUS_ADMIN==$user)

You could at least PM my, jacmoe, that you are opening discussion upon my comment! You are a bad boy!

No, it’s not! All you need is a good software for editing your PHP files. For example using NetBeans (wonderful, but a bit slow!) you will always get green underline in such situations. In this particular, with comment saying “Possible accidental assignment. Assignments in conditions should be avoided”. Brilliant!

Also ZendStudio…

With the little difference, that Zend Studio isn’t free, am I right? :]

right