drewkam

I was reviewing some code one of my developers wrote the other day and found this:

    function getSomeInfo( $r_id ){
        $sql =  "SELECT *  FROM sometable WHERE c_id = '$r_id' ";           
        if ($results = $this->db->get_results($sql)) {
            $i = 0 ;
            foreach($results as $report_list ){
                $i ++ ;
            }return $i; 
        }else{
            return false;
        }               
    }

A programmer must be logical and have a clear sense of process. Therefore for the non-programmers or in-experienced ones, you can reduce the amount of code into the following:

    function getSomeInfo( $r_id ){
        $sql = "SELECT count(id) FROM sometable WHERE c_id = $r_id;"
        return $this->db->get_var();
    }

The DB class we use allows us to pull a single variable from a query with the “getvar” function. The database class we use is called ezsql by Justin Vincent. The class incidentally, is also used by WordPress :)

To be honest, there’s always a way to reduce the amount of code you write, and a faster way to do it. But not everyone is aware of the techniques and that includes me, but in my mind the above solution should have been obvious despite the urgency of the work. Am I being harsh? I don’t think so. Poor thinking and mistakes can break a company’s reputation and finally put it out of business.

Now - I must plan a little chat with an individual…

Don’t forget to fill it out - I’m looking forward to the results!

Every once in a while a hard working developer such as myself (blows trumpet) needs a break from reality, enter xkcd.com!