I’m getting rather hacked off seeing boolean properties typed as strings. Stringly typed is a phrase I learnt off a post from the excellent Coding Horror blog and it describes a phenomena whereby properties that are of a specific type, e.g. Boolean, Date, int, are stored needlessly as strings.
I’m working on a website that communicates with a money laundering service to check whether an individual is “bad” or not. Individuals can pass the test, but importantly it is possible to pass the test with some warning flags raised. If any of the warning flags are raised then an email should be sent off to compliance for them to do…whatever it is they do. Fair enough right?
The warning flags are obviously booleans. There was either a warning raised or there wasn’t – there are no two ways about it (no pun intended). In the serialized response, the warning flags are encoded as “Yes” or “No”…which is understandable. Now, upon receiving the response, it is parsed and turned into an internal representation. This is where things get really weird. The programmer that coded the object that stores the response from the service has decided to encode the warnings as strings, initialised to “”. Which is totally fucking bonkers.
Why?
Well, now our boolean warnings aren’t really booleans – they have WAY more than two possible values and the meaning of these values is subjective. One may consider “”, null, “No” as false, but could conceivably also consider “false” or “0″. We get the same sort of problem with true – “Yes”, “1″, “true” and then we get a whole load of unknown values which is every other possible string in the world. Which might be considered to be true.
So how the hell can any number of programmers work on this piece of code without introducing errors because of differing definitions of truthy and falsey values? Well, they can’t. To illustrate the problem further, even loosely typed languages differ in their boolean coercion, for example JavaScript and PHP:
<script>
if("0") alert('Opposite day!');
</script>
<?php
if("0") echo 'Opposite day!';
?>
JavaScript considers “0″ true but PHP considers it false. Personally I think JavaScript is “right” here, but as I said before, it is totally subjective.
The icing on the cake is of course the extra code you have to write to check the truthy or falsey string values. Something along the lines of “if x is not null and not empty and not the word No then it is probably true…probably”, which would otherwise have been coded as “if x then true” if x was a boolean – which is orders of magnitude shorter.
Of course, there are some bat shit crazy strongly typed languages that allow you to assign null to a Boolean, but that is a different story altogether.
Community – Engaging interface, easy to navigate and visually consistent.
Visit Site – Layout is crisp, browsing is easy, and content feels trustworthy and clear.
Events – Upcoming events are easy to find, and pages load without delay.
Anchor Hub Online – Pages render quickly, navigation is smooth, and content is readable.
content site – Pages load cleanly, navigation is easy to follow, and text is readable
Vital Bonding Guide – Layout is organized, browsing is smooth, and content is easy to understand.
ZenPath Insights – Smooth browsing experience with simple navigation and readable content.
Pathfinder Online Hub – Clear layout, smooth navigation, and content is easy to digest.
Integra Portal – Smooth interface with well-organized content, reading is straightforward.
SurePath Linkup – The interface is simple, and all pages are easy to read and access.
Unity Harbor Guide – Simple navigation and clean layout ensure content is easy to follow.
website link – Simple but effective idea, encouraging interaction and shared learning experiences
Testimonials – Clean pages, intuitive navigation, and reading is effortless.
Merge Portal – Pages load promptly, design is simple and content is well laid out.
AnchorBase – Clean layout and actionable steps make planning straightforward.
Crossroad site – Clear headings and smooth navigation make exploring content simple.
CoreBridge platform – Fun and interactive, makes learning feel effortless.
Contact – Contact options are simple to locate, and the pages load fast.
Login – Simple design, pages load fast, and instructions are easy to follow.
Pricing – Clean sections, fast navigation, and information is easy to digest.
Monarch Hub – Navigation is seamless, layout is tidy, and information is easy to find.
Downloads – Quick access, clean layout, and readable pages.
online page – Navigation feels simple, pages load efficiently, and content is concise and reliable
Wardstone Hub – Clean layout, pages load quickly, and information is easy to follow.
The Integrity Hub – Pages load quickly, layout is neat, and content is simple to follow.
PC Hub – Layout is clean, navigation is seamless, and information is accessible.
Synergy Access – Pages are intuitive, making it easy to understand offerings quickly.
Valor Bond Navigator – Organized pages and clear information create a seamless experience.
homepage link – Pages are full of fresh concepts, browsing sparks curiosity and creativity
Highland Connect – Pages load quickly, menus are intuitive, and everything is well-organized.
PulsePoint – Smooth interface, finding trending topics is effortless.
Bonding platform – Fast and easy-to-follow content with helpful information.
Crown Capital Bond – Clean and professional layout with content that’s easy to understand.
Support – Minimal layout, intuitive navigation, and instructions are easy to read.
WardTrust Hub – Clean design, smooth navigation, and content is simple to follow.
Bond Hub Online – Navigation works smoothly, sections are well-labeled, and content is readable.
landing page – Pages are arranged neatly, navigation works as expected, and readability is good
Signup – Well-organized layout, smooth navigation, and content is clear and user-friendly.
Login – Quick access, clean layout and easy to move through pages.
Bridge Online – Well-organized layout, fast pages, and reading information is simple.
PL Hub – Layout is simple, content is easy to read, and pages load quickly.
Pricing – Clear layout, fast-loading pages, and easy-to-read details.
Talon Resource Center – Navigation is smooth, and information is laid out clearly for quick reading.
Support Portal – Engaging interface, smooth navigation, and information is easy to access and use.
Value Crest Access Point – Professional structure and clear content make navigating simple.
web hub – Well-organized content, navigation feels seamless and pleasant
Highmark Online – Professional feel with efficient navigation, all sections are easy to access.
InitiatorAction – Clear step-by-step guidance makes following processes simple and smooth today.
WestBridge Explorer – Pages load quickly, design is clear, and information is easy to follow.
Mutual Spot – Layout feels structured, navigation works well, and content is straightforward.