Jump to content

In Defence of Magic Numbers

czardas

By czardas,
in AutoIt Technical Discussion

 Share

Recommended Posts

czardas Universalist

czardas

Posted
Posted (edited)

Instead of poluting other people's threads with my opinions I decided to start one of my own.

• Using magic numbers fine tunes your application to squeeze the most out of the system by reducing memory usage and by avoiding the need for extra processing.

• Using magic numbers avoids the problems assiociated with global variable inconsistancies.

• Using magic numbers enables you to easily determine which bits are set and this helps to avoid introducing redundancy into your code.

• Using magic numbers side steps obfuscated and meaningless constant names created by non professionals, and this in turn prevents the associated confusion these names cause.

• Using magic numbers reduces bloat.

• Using magic numbers is fast and convenient.

Edited by czardas

operator64  ArrayWorkshop

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Replies 84
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Posts

trancexx
trancexx

No way. ...that's magic number too, but the value should be 2.

Exit
Exit

MsgBox("", "", "No magic numbers :-)")

czardas
czardas

Instead of poluting other people's threads with my opinions I decided to start one of my own. • Using magic numbers fine tunes your application to squeeze the most out of the system by reducing memo

guinness Universalist

guinness

Posted
Posted

OK, but all of that can be done before compiling, you as the developer shouldn't try and read optimised code as that's not a smart thing to do.

UDF List:

 
_AdapterConnections() • _AlwaysRun() • _AppMon() • _AppMonEx() • _ArrayFilter/_ArrayReduce • _BinaryBin() • _CheckMsgBox() • _CmdLineRaw() • _ContextMenu() • _ConvertLHWebColor()/_ConvertSHWebColor() • _DesktopDimensions() • _DisplayPassword() • _DotNet_Load()/_DotNet_Unload() • _Fibonacci() • _FileCompare() • _FileCompareContents() • _FileNameByHandle() • _FilePrefix/SRE() • _FindInFile() • _GetBackgroundColor()/_SetBackgroundColor() • _GetConrolID() • _GetCtrlClass() • _GetDirectoryFormat() • _GetDriveMediaType() • _GetFilename()/_GetFilenameExt() • _GetHardwareID() • _GetIP() • _GetIP_Country() • _GetOSLanguage() • _GetSavedSource() • _GetStringSize() • _GetSystemPaths() • _GetURLImage() • _GIFImage() • _GoogleWeather() • _GUICtrlCreateGroup() • _GUICtrlListBox_CreateArray() • _GUICtrlListView_CreateArray() • _GUICtrlListView_SaveCSV() • _GUICtrlListView_SaveHTML() • _GUICtrlListView_SaveTxt() • _GUICtrlListView_SaveXML() • _GUICtrlMenu_Recent() • _GUICtrlMenu_SetItemImage() • _GUICtrlTreeView_CreateArray() • _GUIDisable() • _GUIImageList_SetIconFromHandle() • _GUIRegisterMsg() • _GUISetIcon() • _Icon_Clear()/_Icon_Set() • _IdleTime() • _InetGet() • _InetGetGUI() • _InetGetProgress() • _IPDetails() • _IsFileOlder() • _IsGUID() • _IsHex() • _IsPalindrome() • _IsRegKey() • _IsStringRegExp() • _IsSystemDrive() • _IsUPX() • _IsValidType() • _IsWebColor() • _Language() • _Log() • _MicrosoftInternetConnectivity() • _MSDNDataType() • _PathFull/GetRelative/Split() • _PathSplitEx() • _PrintFromArray() • _ProgressSetMarquee() • _ReDim() • _RockPaperScissors()/_RockPaperScissorsLizardSpock() • _ScrollingCredits • _SelfDelete() • _SelfRename() • _SelfUpdate() • _SendTo() • _ShellAll() • _ShellFile() • _ShellFolder() • _SingletonHWID() • _SingletonPID() • _Startup() • _StringCompact() • _StringIsValid() • _StringRegExpMetaCharacters() • _StringReplaceWholeWord() • _StringStripChars() • _Temperature() • _TrialPeriod() • _UKToUSDate()/_USToUKDate() • _WinAPI_Create_CTL_CODE() • _WinAPI_CreateGUID() • _WMIDateStringToDate()/_DateToWMIDateString() • Au3 script parsing • AutoIt Search • AutoIt3 Portable • AutoIt3WrapperToPragma • AutoItWinGetTitle()/AutoItWinSetTitle() • Coding • DirToHTML5 • FileInstallr • FileReadLastChars() • GeoIP database • GUI - Only Close Button • GUI Examples • GUICtrlDeleteImage() • GUICtrlGetBkColor() • GUICtrlGetStyle() • GUIEvents • GUIGetBkColor() • Int_Parse() & Int_TryParse() • IsISBN() • LockFile() • Mapping CtrlIDs • OOP in AutoIt • ParseHeadersToSciTE() • PasswordValid • PasteBin • Posts Per Day • PreExpand • Protect Globals • Queue() • Resource Update • ResourcesEx • SciTE Jump • Settings INI • SHELLHOOK • Shunting-Yard • Signature Creator • Stack() • Stopwatch() • StringAddLF()/StringStripLF() • StringEOLToCRLF() • VSCROLL • WM_COPYDATA • More Examples...

Updated: 22/04/2018

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Mat Universalist

Mat

Posted
Posted (edited)

Meh, for styles and things like that there is pretty much no chance of them ever changing, so go for it and it's not too bad.

Magic numbers should be avoided like the plague as soon as it gets into things that could possibly change in the future. So things like using hard coded constants for the size of data types for example. If it's a number of your own devising then also avoid magic numbers, so if your program accepts a password that should be a minimum of 6 characters it's very important you don't just use the number 6. As the code grows you'll be using the same value in lots of places, and you get a mess.

Guinness and myself have said many times that in your personal code you do what you want and we won't judge you. For code that has to be maintained by others, or code that will be used by less experienced programmers for learning from, use the constants.

And finally, all of your arguments are very good reasons for using a lower level compiled language. So the question remains, why use AutoIt?

Edited by Mat

AutoIt Project Listing

Link to comment
Share on other sites
czardas Universalist

czardas

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)

Point 4 is really my biggest qualm - not understanding the constant names because they are sometimes more obfuscated than the binary. Words have meaning and if this meaning is corrupted by a programmer, it just adds confusion. I discovered this with midi messages, where some developer thought it was clever to use the term 'Velocity' in place of the standard term 'Attack'. This confused me for several years.

Edited by czardas

operator64  ArrayWorkshop

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Mat Universalist

Mat

Posted
Posted

Point 4 is really my biggest qualm - not understanding the constant names because they are sometimes more obfuscated than the binary. Words have meaning and if this meaning is corrupted by a programmer, it just adds confusion. I discovered this with midi messages, where some developer thought it was clever to use the term 'Velocity' in place of the standard word 'Attack'. This confused me for several years.

 

Lol at non-professionals as well, in many cases it's the professionals we need to worry about: MB_ICONASTERISK always makes me chuckle.

In 99% of cases I'm sure the constant is well named though. 

AutoIt Project Listing

Link to comment
Share on other sites
czardas Universalist

czardas

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)

Yeah most of the names are okay but stupid things do happen. ^_^ I'm also in favour of using global constants for a lot of stuff, but I think there is too much bad said about magic numbers. They are not evil at all. Using them also has a down side.

MB_ICONASTERISK >_<

Edited by czardas

operator64  ArrayWorkshop

Link to comment
Share on other sites
guinness Universalist

guinness

Posted
Posted

I am always thinking from the perspective of others mainting my code. I guess it comes from working on the help file and UDFs that I am stuck in my ways (which are far from perfect.)

UDF List:

 
_AdapterConnections() • _AlwaysRun() • _AppMon() • _AppMonEx() • _ArrayFilter/_ArrayReduce • _BinaryBin() • _CheckMsgBox() • _CmdLineRaw() • _ContextMenu() • _ConvertLHWebColor()/_ConvertSHWebColor() • _DesktopDimensions() • _DisplayPassword() • _DotNet_Load()/_DotNet_Unload() • _Fibonacci() • _FileCompare() • _FileCompareContents() • _FileNameByHandle() • _FilePrefix/SRE() • _FindInFile() • _GetBackgroundColor()/_SetBackgroundColor() • _GetConrolID() • _GetCtrlClass() • _GetDirectoryFormat() • _GetDriveMediaType() • _GetFilename()/_GetFilenameExt() • _GetHardwareID() • _GetIP() • _GetIP_Country() • _GetOSLanguage() • _GetSavedSource() • _GetStringSize() • _GetSystemPaths() • _GetURLImage() • _GIFImage() • _GoogleWeather() • _GUICtrlCreateGroup() • _GUICtrlListBox_CreateArray() • _GUICtrlListView_CreateArray() • _GUICtrlListView_SaveCSV() • _GUICtrlListView_SaveHTML() • _GUICtrlListView_SaveTxt() • _GUICtrlListView_SaveXML() • _GUICtrlMenu_Recent() • _GUICtrlMenu_SetItemImage() • _GUICtrlTreeView_CreateArray() • _GUIDisable() • _GUIImageList_SetIconFromHandle() • _GUIRegisterMsg() • _GUISetIcon() • _Icon_Clear()/_Icon_Set() • _IdleTime() • _InetGet() • _InetGetGUI() • _InetGetProgress() • _IPDetails() • _IsFileOlder() • _IsGUID() • _IsHex() • _IsPalindrome() • _IsRegKey() • _IsStringRegExp() • _IsSystemDrive() • _IsUPX() • _IsValidType() • _IsWebColor() • _Language() • _Log() • _MicrosoftInternetConnectivity() • _MSDNDataType() • _PathFull/GetRelative/Split() • _PathSplitEx() • _PrintFromArray() • _ProgressSetMarquee() • _ReDim() • _RockPaperScissors()/_RockPaperScissorsLizardSpock() • _ScrollingCredits • _SelfDelete() • _SelfRename() • _SelfUpdate() • _SendTo() • _ShellAll() • _ShellFile() • _ShellFolder() • _SingletonHWID() • _SingletonPID() • _Startup() • _StringCompact() • _StringIsValid() • _StringRegExpMetaCharacters() • _StringReplaceWholeWord() • _StringStripChars() • _Temperature() • _TrialPeriod() • _UKToUSDate()/_USToUKDate() • _WinAPI_Create_CTL_CODE() • _WinAPI_CreateGUID() • _WMIDateStringToDate()/_DateToWMIDateString() • Au3 script parsing • AutoIt Search • AutoIt3 Portable • AutoIt3WrapperToPragma • AutoItWinGetTitle()/AutoItWinSetTitle() • Coding • DirToHTML5 • FileInstallr • FileReadLastChars() • GeoIP database • GUI - Only Close Button • GUI Examples • GUICtrlDeleteImage() • GUICtrlGetBkColor() • GUICtrlGetStyle() • GUIEvents • GUIGetBkColor() • Int_Parse() & Int_TryParse() • IsISBN() • LockFile() • Mapping CtrlIDs • OOP in AutoIt • ParseHeadersToSciTE() • PasswordValid • PasteBin • Posts Per Day • PreExpand • Protect Globals • Queue() • Resource Update • ResourcesEx • SciTE Jump • Settings INI • SHELLHOOK • Shunting-Yard • Signature Creator • Stack() • Stopwatch() • StringAddLF()/StringStripLF() • StringEOLToCRLF() • VSCROLL • WM_COPYDATA • More Examples...

Updated: 22/04/2018

Link to comment
Share on other sites
czardas Universalist

czardas

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I am always thinking from the perspective of others mainting my code. I guess it comes from working on the help file and UDFs that I am stuck in my ways (which are far from perfect.)

 

It's good to have the constant names availabe for sure. The global constant system has many advantages. I just don't see everything being as simple as black and white, that's all.

operator64  ArrayWorkshop

Link to comment
Share on other sites
czardas Universalist

czardas

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)

Well in debugging I often find it easier to fix an erroneous number. Variables I create are normally local in scope and I try to avoid writing any unclear code and introduce comments where I feel it is appropriate. Admittedly I'm not always successful in this. Generally I use binary as the mainstay of most of my apps. I need to see the numbers to be able to work with it. The numbers don't have to be hard coded and can be replaced by local variables if used more than once.

Edited by czardas

operator64  ArrayWorkshop

Link to comment
Share on other sites
water Universalist

water

Posted
Posted

I use magic numbers when I need a quick and dirty solution. When i start to get serious I use constants.

My 0.02 cents.

My UDFs and Tutorials:

Spoiler

UDFs:
Active Directory (NEW 2024-07-28 - Version 1.6.3.0) - Download - General Help & Support - Example Scripts - Wiki
ExcelChart (2017-07-21 - Version 0.4.0.1) - Download - General Help & Support - Example Scripts
OutlookEX (2021-11-16 - Version 1.7.0.0) - Download - General Help & Support - Example Scripts - Wiki
OutlookEX_GUI (2021-04-13 - Version 1.4.0.0) - Download
Outlook Tools (2019-07-22 - Version 0.6.0.0) - Download - General Help & Support - Wiki
PowerPoint (2021-08-31 - Version 1.5.0.0) - Download - General Help & Support - Example Scripts - Wiki
Task Scheduler (2022-07-28 - Version 1.6.0.1) - Download - General Help & Support - Wiki

Standard UDFs:
Excel - Example Scripts - Wiki
Word - Wiki

Tutorials:
ADO - Wiki
WebDriver - Wiki

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
guinness Universalist

guinness

Posted
Posted

I do behind closed doors.

UDF List:

 
_AdapterConnections() • _AlwaysRun() • _AppMon() • _AppMonEx() • _ArrayFilter/_ArrayReduce • _BinaryBin() • _CheckMsgBox() • _CmdLineRaw() • _ContextMenu() • _ConvertLHWebColor()/_ConvertSHWebColor() • _DesktopDimensions() • _DisplayPassword() • _DotNet_Load()/_DotNet_Unload() • _Fibonacci() • _FileCompare() • _FileCompareContents() • _FileNameByHandle() • _FilePrefix/SRE() • _FindInFile() • _GetBackgroundColor()/_SetBackgroundColor() • _GetConrolID() • _GetCtrlClass() • _GetDirectoryFormat() • _GetDriveMediaType() • _GetFilename()/_GetFilenameExt() • _GetHardwareID() • _GetIP() • _GetIP_Country() • _GetOSLanguage() • _GetSavedSource() • _GetStringSize() • _GetSystemPaths() • _GetURLImage() • _GIFImage() • _GoogleWeather() • _GUICtrlCreateGroup() • _GUICtrlListBox_CreateArray() • _GUICtrlListView_CreateArray() • _GUICtrlListView_SaveCSV() • _GUICtrlListView_SaveHTML() • _GUICtrlListView_SaveTxt() • _GUICtrlListView_SaveXML() • _GUICtrlMenu_Recent() • _GUICtrlMenu_SetItemImage() • _GUICtrlTreeView_CreateArray() • _GUIDisable() • _GUIImageList_SetIconFromHandle() • _GUIRegisterMsg() • _GUISetIcon() • _Icon_Clear()/_Icon_Set() • _IdleTime() • _InetGet() • _InetGetGUI() • _InetGetProgress() • _IPDetails() • _IsFileOlder() • _IsGUID() • _IsHex() • _IsPalindrome() • _IsRegKey() • _IsStringRegExp() • _IsSystemDrive() • _IsUPX() • _IsValidType() • _IsWebColor() • _Language() • _Log() • _MicrosoftInternetConnectivity() • _MSDNDataType() • _PathFull/GetRelative/Split() • _PathSplitEx() • _PrintFromArray() • _ProgressSetMarquee() • _ReDim() • _RockPaperScissors()/_RockPaperScissorsLizardSpock() • _ScrollingCredits • _SelfDelete() • _SelfRename() • _SelfUpdate() • _SendTo() • _ShellAll() • _ShellFile() • _ShellFolder() • _SingletonHWID() • _SingletonPID() • _Startup() • _StringCompact() • _StringIsValid() • _StringRegExpMetaCharacters() • _StringReplaceWholeWord() • _StringStripChars() • _Temperature() • _TrialPeriod() • _UKToUSDate()/_USToUKDate() • _WinAPI_Create_CTL_CODE() • _WinAPI_CreateGUID() • _WMIDateStringToDate()/_DateToWMIDateString() • Au3 script parsing • AutoIt Search • AutoIt3 Portable • AutoIt3WrapperToPragma • AutoItWinGetTitle()/AutoItWinSetTitle() • Coding • DirToHTML5 • FileInstallr • FileReadLastChars() • GeoIP database • GUI - Only Close Button • GUI Examples • GUICtrlDeleteImage() • GUICtrlGetBkColor() • GUICtrlGetStyle() • GUIEvents • GUIGetBkColor() • Int_Parse() & Int_TryParse() • IsISBN() • LockFile() • Mapping CtrlIDs • OOP in AutoIt • ParseHeadersToSciTE() • PasswordValid • PasteBin • Posts Per Day • PreExpand • Protect Globals • Queue() • Resource Update • ResourcesEx • SciTE Jump • Settings INI • SHELLHOOK • Shunting-Yard • Signature Creator • Stack() • Stopwatch() • StringAddLF()/StringStripLF() • StringEOLToCRLF() • VSCROLL • WM_COPYDATA • More Examples...

Updated: 22/04/2018

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Chimaera Universalist

Chimaera

Posted
Posted

Not as an addition to this discussion but more of a question

We can still use both atm as far as i understand

But for names it must be Beta?

And will this change one day so it has to be names?

If Ive just helped you ... miracles do happen. Chimaera

CopyRobo() * Hidden Admin Account Enabler * Software Location From Registry * Find Display Resolution * _ChangeServices()

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Mat Universalist

Mat

Posted
Posted

Not as an addition to this discussion but more of a question

We can still use both atm as far as i understand

But for names it must be Beta?

And will this change one day so it has to be names?

 

In the betas you'll find a lot more of the names documented, and used in examples. Most of them were already in Constants.au3 so are already in the stable (just not documented)

It can't be changed to just names. 

AutoIt Project Listing

Link to comment
Share on other sites
iamtheky Universalist

iamtheky

Posted
Posted (edited)

so 0 is technically the absence of a magic number, and therefore ok?  I find it more default than magic in most cases.

msgbox(0, "", $DebugString)  <-- will be the last number i stop using, its too easy to both author and understand.

Edited by boththose 

,-. .--. ________ .-. .-. ,---. ,-. .-. .-. .-.
|(| / /\ \ |\ /| |__ __||| | | || .-' | |/ / \ \_/ )/
(_) / /__\ \ |(\ / | )| | | `-' | | `-. | | / __ \ (_)
| | | __ | (_)\/ | (_) | | .-. | | .-' | | \ |__| ) (
| | | | |)| | \ / | | | | | |)| | `--. | |) \ | |
`-' |_| (_) | |\/| | `-' /( (_)/( __.' |((_)-' /(_|
'-' '-' (__) (__) (_) (__)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
czardas Universalist

czardas

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)

so 0 is technically the absence of a magic number, and therefore ok?

:laser:

The day I have to type MB_DUNNOWHAT while debugging, instead using a quick zero, is the day I stop coding. Publishing code is a different matter. I think I have slight dislexia - you will notice I do a lot of edits to my posts.

Edit

I meant dyslexia

Edited by czardas

operator64  ArrayWorkshop

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...