I have the best idea ever! Variable "contexts"!

[tibberous]

I am REALLY tired I have to type:

 

$city = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_REQUEST['city']));

$state = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_REQUEST['state']));

ect...

 

Its like 15 lines of copy and pasted crap everytime I have a form.

 

Here is my idea - variable contexts.

 

It would work like this:

 

define context ":" ($x) {

return mysql_real_escape_string(trim($x));

}

 

Then, instead of saying:

 

$city = mysql_real_escape_string(trim($_REQUEST['city']));

 

You could just use:

 

$:city

 

 

[premiso]

Why not, and this is just out on a limb, put the form input names in an array:

 

$inputs = array('city', 'state', 'county');

 

Then do a loop through that array:

foreach ($inputs as $key) {
    $_REQUEST[$key] = trim($_REQUEST[$key]);
    $$key = isset($_REQUEST[$key])?mysql_real_escape_string($_REQUEST[$key]):null;
}

 

 

However, I would just use the array version and not do a variables variable to define the value. But that is me.

 

As far as variable context, if that is not incorperated I doubt it would/should be. As it is easily done with a loop as seen above without having to do the $:variable for each variable you want to use.

 

[Daniel0]

Sounds like you just need to learn about proper application design.

[nrg_alpha]

tibberous, if your IDE supports macros, you could use that instead. I make use of plenty of macros (both default and custom code snippets) which saves time.

[Daniel0]

tibberous, if your IDE supports macros, you could use that instead. I make use of plenty of macros (both default and custom code snippets) which saves time.

 

Not if it means violating DRY.

[laffin]

gee and I thought that making yer own function was also good for as well...

<?php
funtion my_escape($string)
{
return mysql_real_escape_string(trim($string));
}

 

[nrg_alpha]

Not if it means violating DRY.

 

I'm sorry... DRY?

[Mchl]

Do Repeat Yourself? Just guessing

 

(oh... google says it actually stands for 'do not repeat yourself'... so why there is no N in there?)

[nrg_alpha]

Ah, I see.

[Maq]

Do Repeat Yourself? Just guessing

 

(oh... google says it actually stands for 'do not repeat yourself'... so why there is no N in there?)

 

No 'N' because you could say, "Don't".

[Mchl]

Ok... so DNR stands for 'Don't resuscitate' or for 'Don't not resuscitate' ?

[Maq]

Ok... so DNR stands for 'Don't resuscitate' or for 'Don't not resuscitate' ?

 

Maybe...?  Do you think if it stands for "Don't" then it should be an exception for "do not" and vice versa?  Sometimes acronyms don't follow the rule, like PHP for example, "Hypertext Preprocessor".

 

Anyway, I was referring to the statement you made about DRY, and why it's, "Don't", and not, "do not".

[nrg_alpha]

Sometimes acronyms don't follow the rule, like PHP for example, "Hypertext Preprocessor".

 

From my understanding, PHP = (Personal home page Hypertext Preprocessor) As initially PHP stood for Personal Home Page, but then that all got bunched into the first P. At least, that's what i read.

[Daniel0]

Actually, PHP is a recursive acronym for "PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor" as of PHP 3. Like GNU (GNU's not Unix), Wine (Wine Is Not an Emulator), YAML (YAML Ain't Markup Language), etc.

[Mchl]

Anyway, I was referring to the statement you made about DRY, and why it's, "Don't", and not, "do not".

 

Yeah i got that... I'm just having fun with acronyms now. I especially love those self-referencing ones.. like PHP - PHP Hypertext Preprocessor

[nrg_alpha]

Actually, PHP is a recursive acronym for "PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor" as of PHP 3. Like GNU (GNU's not Unix), Wine (Wine Is Not an Emulator), YAML (YAML Ain't Markup Language), etc.

 

But doesn't that initial PHP represent the original 'Personal Home Page' (thus PHP for short)?

[Daniel0]

Used to, but not anymore. That's why you call it a recursive acronym. The acronym is part of its definition, so if you spell out the acronym you get the acronym again, and you can then spell out that one, and the next one, etc.

[nrg_alpha]

Used to, but not anymore. That's why you call it a recursive acronym. The acronym is part of its definition, so if you spell out the acronym you get the acronym again, and you can then spell out that one, and the next one, etc.

 

Ah yes, now I see that definition in Wikipedia. Certainly doesn't match the definition I once read, but it makes sense (due to the recursive bit).

[tibberous]

premiso, your way also works, I just think the other way is cleaner.

 

Contexts could be used for other stuff too. Like $dollar could be referred to in a 'currency' context, that would automatically return '$'.number_format($x, 2);

 

or maybe a string could be output in an html context, where html_entities are already applied.

 

Its really just a short version of a function call.

[premiso]

I think you are doing this in vain. Really it is not much work to just do

 

$string = dollar('50.34');

 

Vs

 

$string:50.02;

 

Granted, I still do not grasp the context syntax/terminology. But yea, I fail to see how it is "easier" than just using a function. Not to mention more confusing, at least with the function people know what to look for/refer to. I do not see how it would be easier/more efficient. Saving what, maybe 10 more characters. an extra 1 or 2 seconds of typing to make it less readable.

 

Not worth it, in my opinion.

[tibberous]

Contexts could be used in strings though.

 

So, instead of saying:

 

$message = "You have ".dollar($amount);

 

You could say:

 

$message = "You have $:amount";

 

A contexts name would always be one character long, and a symbol. It would always be defined as a function that takes one value and returns one value.

 

[xylex]

Doing something like this to "lower the bar" is almost always a bad idea.  Which is why I have no idea why GOTO was added in 5.3.

 

If $: is defined by the specific script as a call to one specific function, where is the portability/reusability of the code?  If you try to standardize it that $: is a synonym for mysql_real_escape_string, then what about using the code with other databases?  If you use a library that overrides what the $: does, then what if that stops your data from being escaped?

 

There are just way to many bad things that I could see happening to justify taking the risk to save an extra 10 keystrokes each time.