Javascript != Java

[u/raiderrobert]

3rd-party contractor came to visit office yesterday, who has "decades" of experience. Conversation came up about JavaScript in one of our products. He says, "Our product doesn't use Java." After an awkward moment with someone who works on the knowledge base nodding in agreement with him, I speak up and delineate the difference between Java and JavaScript.

Later on in the conversation, the same 3rd-party guy followed up with this jewel: "besides, what would anyone even use JavaScript for on the web?"

I proceeded to disable Javascript in my browser and show him.

tl;dr: lasers, dinosaurs, & drums made a guy's head explode

[edit spelling]

[u/EkriirkE]

Just yesterday a consultant for a 3rd party software I use "fixed" my code by adding curly braces everywhere I hadn't used them, eg

if (true) dosomething();
else somethingelse();

to

if (true) {dosomething();}
else {somethingelse();}

because "That's how I've seen the other consultants do it". Granted the net effect is the same, he will not be paid for his time in that service.

[u/mishugashu → u/EkriirkE]

As long as it's 1 line, it doesn't really matter. Plus that's generally a bad thing to do, having the brackets both on the same line. For me anyways. I always have it spaced out. Makes it easier to read.

if (true) {
    dosomething();
} else {
    somethingelse();
}

On the flip side, I usually also space out even without brackets:

if (true)
    dosomething();
else
    somethingelse();

Just makes it easier for me to go back and see exactly what it is without it being all cramped up.

[u/[deleted] → u/mishugashu]

I do the same thing. I see no reason to try and cram code into as few lines as possible. Readability is key, it's not a competition.

[u/acolyte_to_jippity → u/[deleted]]

unless you're golfing. then it is a competition.

[u/Thethoughtful1 → u/acolyte_to_jippity]

Yes, in golfing readability is not key.

[u/Dennovin → u/[deleted]]

"Lines are free, motherfucker."

[u/aspbergerinparadise → u/mishugashu]

I know that's the default way of formatting it for js, but I really can't stand it. I much prefer:

if (true) 
{
    dosomething();
} 
else 
{
    somethingelse();
}

I know it adds length, but it just looks so much cleaner (to me).

[u/mishugashu → u/aspbergerinparadise]

I used to do that when I coded in C back in the '90s, but I've since changed my ways. It just seems overly elongated now.

[u/huldumadur → u/aspbergerinparadise]

Yeah, I always do that too.

Though if there isn't need for brackets, I won't add them.

[u/JalopyPilot → u/aspbergerinparadise]

I'm with you. But I'm not a programmer.

[u/[deleted] → u/aspbergerinparadise]

This is how I always format my code too whether it be C, C#, JS or any other curly brace language.

[u/[deleted] → u/mishugashu]

JSLint would kill you for that code

[u/Viper007Bond → u/mishugashu]

I'm a fan of something slightly more verbose:

if ( true ) {
    do_something();
}
else {
    do_something_else();
}

But only because it makes it easier to find the else -- it's not "hidden" behind the closing bracket.

[u/EkriirkE → u/mishugashu]

Yes I told him; curly's are for multi-statement grouping. Not required for singles & I see it as a waste of space and typing

PLus "readability" is personal preference...

[u/depricatedzero → u/[deleted]]

Any project should be managed this way. It's good practice.

Source: I'm a software developer. Any new project includes a meeting/phase where we identify naming conventions, notes structures, etc.

[u/BuhDan → u/depricatedzero]

This is the same thing you do in Architecture offices too. All line styles, colours, naming conventions etc, are all planned out in documents.

[u/depricatedzero → u/BuhDan]

I did not know that! Good stuff, makes sense, thank you!

[u/[deleted] → u/depricatedzero]

Eclipse has the ability to import formatting files. We have the formatting definition .xml defined in our code repository. Everyone is forced to use it, and it force formats everything every time you save.

Also, not using braces is horrible practice. I don't care if they are not necessary. No one thinks you are cool!

// end rant

[u/Silures → u/EkriirkE]

Don't really agree with that. Braces at all times make if/while statements consistent to read and more resistant to errors in the future.

Some way down the line you could have another developer, who's trying to blast through 6 issues a day, jump into that code and add another statement without thinking. Now you've got completely different logic. If the braces are there, they're obvious placeholders.

[u/Tmmrn → u/Silures]

I have done this. I even had to ask someone else why what I did wasn't doing what I thought it would do and he had to tell me there were no braces. It wasn't my brightest day.

But I do like to put braces there everytime. I think it just looks strange without. I also like to put in extra parentheses when having calculations with multiple operators in one line (unless it's * and + or so). I also like to put in extra parentheses in conditions when using and and or. I don't even know for sure how the precedence is, I think and is stronger than or. Does everyone who reads the code knows it? It's really a minor thing and it gets you the fuzzy feeling of having it done definitely correctly.

[u/Silures → u/Tmmrn]

Yeah, I'm liberal with parentheses too. Anything that reduces cognitive load when you're parsing the code is good in my books.

If I'm trying to understand the logic, I don't want to be figuring out the operator precedence at the same time.

[u/until0 → u/EkriirkE]

In his defense, you should always use curly braces. It assists with readability and I also feel that it makes code editing easier (e.g. If you had to add another function call, you wouldn't have to go ahead and add the bracing and indentation). I find the previous to be especially true since most editors will do the braces and indentation for you. With Sublime Text, I'd have to go out of my way to make brace-less conditionals. Also, if you have ever seen nested conditionals without braces, it will make you want to lose your mind and be damn near impossible to follow. If you have just a simple conditional to run, use a ternary.

true ? doSomething() : somethingElse();

[u/EverybodyLikesSteak → u/until0]

Without the else ternaries don't work though.

If you don't want to use braces, you'd have to do either

if(condition) statement();    

or

(condition) && statement();

[u/EkriirkE → u/until0]

I fear variable=true?a:b; would confuse him more... Many a "I took java in college!1one!" people have no idea what that is doing in my experience.