I've seen classes where constants are passed to methods, I guess its done to define some kind of setting in that function. I cant find it anywhere now to try to find out the logic, so I though I could ask here. How and why do you use this concept and where can I find more information about it?
The example below is written in PHP, but any language that handles constants would do I guess..
// Declaring class
class ExampleClass{
const EXAMPLE_CONST_1 = 0;
const EXAMPLE_CONST_2 = 1;
function example_method($constant(?)){
if($constant == ExampleClass::EXAMPLE_CONST_1)
// do this
else if($constant == ExampleClass::EXAMPLE_CONST_2)
// do that
}
}
// Using class
$inst = new ExampleClass();
$inst->example_method(ExampleClass::EXAMPLE_CONST_1);
To me its more clear to pass "ExampleClass::EXAMPLE_CONST_1" than to just pass "1", but it's that the only reason to pass constant?
Simply passing 1 doesn't say much. By having a constant you can have a description about the settings in the name.
example:
constant RAIN = 1;
method setWeather(RAIN);
Atleast that's how and why I use it.
It is always a good idea to avoid literals being passed around. By assigning a name, anyone reading your code has a chance to understand what that value means - a number has no meaning. It might also help you maintaining your code: If for some requirement the value has to be changed, you can easily do it in one place, instead of checking each and every value occurrence.
Related
Why can we use a code like this:
let student = {name:"John", surname:"Doe", index:386754};
let text = "";
let x;
for (x in student) {
text += student[x] + " "; }
And it would preview: John Doe 386754.
But when I formulated it like this:
let student = {name:"John", surname:"Doe", index:386754};
let text = "";
let x;
for (x in student) {
text += student.x + " "; }
, it returnes: undefined undefined undefined.
I suppose it's a pretty basic thing, but I had to ask because I can't find an appropriate answer.
Thank you ahead!
You should check out the data structures. You create a hash table using the variable student. So you can call inner variables (key-value pairs) by using brackets as you did student[name]. The second one student.name means you are calling a method of a class, which you don't have.
I recommend you to check what data structures exist, and how to use them.
The usage of object.something vs object[something] varies in different languages, and JavaScript is particularly loose in this aspect. The big difference here is that in object[something], something must reference a string corresponding to a key in object. So if you had something = 'myKey', and myKey was the name of a key in something (so object = {'myKey': 'value', ...}), you would get value. If you use object.something, you are asking JavaScript to look for a key in object with the name something. Even if you write something = 'myKey', using a dot means that you are looking within the scope of the object, making variables in your program effectively invisible.
So when you write student.x, you get undefined because there is no key 'x': 'value' in student for your program to find. Defining x as a key in your for loop does not change this. On the other hand, writing student[x] means that your program is finding the value x is referencing and plugging it in. When x is 'name', the program is actually looking for student['name'].
Hope that clarifies your issue. Good luck!
I have a method drive that goes like this:
public double drive(double milesTraveled, double gasUsed)
{
gasInTank -= gasUsed;
return totalMiles += milesTraveled;
}
I know I can't return multiple values from a method, but that's kind of what I need to do because I need both of these values in my main method, and as it is now it's obviously only returning the one. I can't think of anything that would work. Sorry if this is a super beginner question. What can I do to get both values to return from the method?
You can return multiple value from a function. To do this You can use structure.
In the structure you can keep required field and can return structure variable after operation.
You can also make a class for the required field if You are using OOPS supporting language but Structure is best way.
In most languages you can only return a single value from a method. That single value could be a complex type, such as a struct, array or object.
Some languages also allow you to define output parameters or pass in pointers or references to outside storage locations. These kinds of parameters also allow you to return additional values from your method.
not sure, but can you take array of your values?
array[0]=gasInTank;
array[0] -= gasUsed;
array[1]=milesTraveled;
array[1] -= milesTraveled;
return array;
In the Lua language, I am able to define functions in a table with something such as
table = { myfunction = function(x) return x end }
I wondered if I can created methods this way, instead of having to do it like
function table:mymethod() ... end
I am fairly sure it is possible to add methods this way, but I am unsure of the proper name of this technique, and I cannot find it looking for "lua" and "methods" or such.
My intention is to pass a table to a function such as myfunction({data= stuff, name = returnedName, ?method?init() = stuff}).
Unfortunately I have tried several combinations with the colon method declaration but none of them is valid syntax.
So...anyone here happens to know?
Sure: table:method() is just syntactic sugar for table.method(self), but you have to take care of the self argument. If you do
tab={f=function(x)return x end }
then tab:f(x) won't work, as this actually is tab.f(tab,x) and thus will return tab instead of x.
You might take a look on the lua users wiki on object orientation or PiL chapter 16.
Extract Method (a refactoring from Fowler's book) works great if your method doesn't assign any values. If it assigns one value, that becomes the return value of the extracted method. What if it assigns two values?
Some C# code to illustrate:
private void someBigFunction() {
doSomething();
doSomethingElse();
// start extraction here
string first = Database.Select(...);
// ...
// next is dependent on the value of "first"
int next = Database.Select(...);
// ...
// stop extraction here
doMoreUselessStuff();
}
The exact code or values are not important here. The point is extracting this method. (The two values are linked, so it makes sense to have them in the same method -- and not to make two methods.)
Possible answers to this question would be "return both in an array," "return them both in a pair-like data structure," or "use out parameters (pass by reference)" -- but I'm looking for something cleaner. (The actual code is in Delphi, not C#)
Perhaps Sprout Class is what you're looking for. Make the two members instance variables of a new class and extract this method into that class, assigning the instance variables and providing getters for the caller. Or, of course, you could convert the local variables to be instance variables of the original class. That conversion frequently makes Extract Method easier, but you wind up with what is arguably an excess of instance variables. With Sprout class, you have a class whose only purpose is to retrieve and provide those values, so there's no question that they deserve to be instance variables in it.
Sorry if this is basic but I was trying to pick up on .Net 3.5.
Question: Is there anything great about Func<> and it's 5 overloads? From the looks of it, I can still create a similar delgate on my own say, MyFunc<> with the exact 5 overloads and even more.
eg: public delegate TResult MyFunc<TResult>() and a combo of various overloads...
The thought came up as I was trying to understand Func<> delegates and hit upon the following scenario:
Func<int,int> myDelegate = (y) => IsComposite(10);
This implies a delegate with one parameter of type int and a return type of type int. There are five variations (if you look at the overloads through intellisense). So I am guessing that we can have a delegate with no return type?
So am I justified in saying that Func<> is nothing great and just an example in the .Net framework that we can use and if needed, create custom "func<>" delegates to suit our own needs?
Thanks,
The greatness lies in establishing shared language for better communication.
Instead of defining your own delegate types for the same thing (delegate explosion), use the ones provided by the framework. Anyone reading your code instantly grasps what you are trying to accomplish.. minimizes the time to 'what is this piece of code actually doing?'
So as soon as I see a
Action = some method that just does something and returns no output
Comparison = some method that compares two objects of the same type and returns an int to indicate order
Converter = transforms Obj A into equivalent Obj B
EventHandler = response/handler to an event raised by some object given some input in the form of an event argument
Func = some method that takes some parameters, computes something and returns a result
Predicate = evaluate input object against some criteria and return pass/fail status as bool
I don't have to dig deeper than that unless it is my immediate area of concern. So if you feel the delegate you need fits one of these needs, use them before rolling your own.
Disclaimer: Personally I like this move by the language designers.
Counter-argument : Sometimes defining your delegate may help communicate intent better. e.g. System.Threading.ThreadStart over System.Action. So it’s a judgment call in the end.
The Func family of delegates (and their return-type-less cousins, Action) are not any greater than anything else you'd find in the .NET framework. They're just there for re-use so you don't have to redefine them. They have type parameters to keep things generic. E.g., a Func<T0,bool> is the same as a System.Predicate<T> delegate. They were originally designed for LINQ.
You should be able to just use the built-in Func delegate for any value-returning method that accepts up to 4 arguments instead of defining your own delegate for such a purpose unless you want the name to reflect your intention, which is cool.
Cases where you would absolutely need to define your delegate types include methods that accept more than 4 arguments, methods with out, ref, or params parameters, or recursive method signatures (e.g., delegate Foo Foo(Foo f)).
In addition to Marxidad's correct answer:
It's worth being aware of Func's related family, the Action delegates. Again, these are types overloaded by the number of type parameters, but declared to return void.
If you want to use Func/Action in a .NET 2.0 project but with a simple route to upgrading later on, you can cut and paste the declarations from my version comparison page. If you declare them in the System namespace then you'll be able to upgrade just by removing the declarations later - but then you won't be able to (easily) build the same code in .NET 3.5 without removing the declarations.
Decoupling dependencies and unholy tie-ups is one singular thing that makes it great. Everything else one can debate and claim to be doable in some home-grown way.
I've been refactoring slightly more complex system with an old and heavy lib and got blocked on not being able to break compile time dependency - because of the named delegate lurking on "the other side". All assembly loading and reflection didn't help - compiler would refuse to just cast a delegate() {...} to object and whatever you do to pacify it would fail on the other side.
Delegate type comparison which is structural at compile time turns nominal after that (loading, invoking). That may seem OK while you are thinking in terms of "my darling lib is going to be used forever and by everyone" but it doesn't scale to even slightly more complex systems. Fun<> templates bring a degree of structural equivalence back into the world of nominal typing . That's the aspect you can't achieve by rolling out your own.
Example - converting:
class Session (
public delegate string CleanBody(); // tying you up and you don't see it :-)
public static void Execute(string name, string q, CleanBody body) ...
to:
public static void Execute(string name, string q, Func<string> body)
Allows completely independent code to do reflection invocation like:
Type type = Type.GetType("Bla.Session, FooSessionDll", true);
MethodInfo methodInfo = type.GetMethod("Execute");
Func<string> d = delegate() { .....} // see Ma - no tie-ups :-)
Object [] params = { "foo", "bar", d};
methodInfo.Invoke("Trial Execution :-)", params);
Existing code doesn't notice the difference, new code doesn't get dependence - peace on Earth :-)
One thing I like about delegates is that they let me declare methods within methods like so, this is handy when you want to reuse a piece of code but you only need it within that method. Since the purpose here is to limit the scope as much as possible Func<> comes in handy.
For example:
string FormatName(string pFirstName, string pLastName) {
Func<string, string> MakeFirstUpper = (pText) => {
return pText.Substring(0,1).ToUpper() + pText.Substring(1);
};
return MakeFirstUpper(pFirstName) + " " + MakeFirstUpper(pLastName);
}
It's even easier and more handy when you can use inference, which you can if you create a helper function like so:
Func<T, TReturn> Lambda<T, TReturn>(Func<T, TReturn> pFunc) {
return pFunc;
}
Now I can rewrite my function without the Func<>:
string FormatName(string pFirstName, string pLastName) {
var MakeFirstUpper = Lambda((string pText) => {
return pText.Substring(0,1).ToUpper() + pText.Substring(1);
});
return MakeFirstUpper(pFirstName) + " " + MakeFirstUpper(pLastName);
}
Here's the code to test the method:
Console.WriteLine(FormatName("luis", "perez"));
Though it is an old thread I had to add that func<> and action<> also help us use covariance and contra variance.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd465122.aspx