Re: [PATCH] Git.pm: Don't return 'undef' in vector context.
- From
Sebastian Harl <sh@tokkee.org>
- Date
- Nov 16, 2007, 12:47 UTC
- Message-ID
- <20071116124746.GW29439@albany.tokkee.org>
- In-Reply-To
- <7vfxz61yox.fsf@gitster.siamese.dyndns.org>
Hi,
On Thu, Nov 15, 2007 at 10:39:26PM -0800, Junio C Hamano wrote:
Show 13 quoted lines
> Dan Zwell <dzwell@gmail.com> writes:
> > Previously, the Git->repository()->config('non-existent.key')
> > evaluated to as true in a vector context. Return an empty list
> > instead.
> > ---
> > I don't know whether this breaks anything, because I don't use most of
> > the git perl scripts. I can't imagine that there is a script that
> > relies on the fact that config('non-existent.key') actually returns
> > (''), in an array context. Is this a reasonable change?
>
> I did not examine the callers but my gut feeling is that it
> would be simpler and cleaner to always return () without
> checking the context.[...]
> I generally try to stay away from functions that changes their > return values depending on the context, because they tend to > make reading the callers to find bugs more difficult.
In fact, if you simply return without any value, it will evaluate to "false" no matter which context it has been called in ("()" in list context, "undef" in scalar context, etc.). So, it's generally a good idea to use "return;" to indicate an error.
Cheers, Sebastian
-- Sebastian "tokkee" Harl +++ GnuPG-ID: 0x8501C7FC +++ http://tokkee.org/ Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. -- Benjamin Franklin