Code Flow

kyama

I am just getting into writtingPHP and was wondering is there a correct way to write code flow? I have seen many ways of writinbg the same thing.

Some write it like this:
if (!$articleIndex) {
$articleIndex = array_search($articleChoice, $article);
} else {
$articleChoice = $article[$articleIndex];
}

And some would write:
if (!$articleIndex) {
$articleIndex = array_search($articleChoice, $article);
}
else {
$articleChoice = $article[$articleIndex];
}

And other like this:
if (!$articleIndex)
{
$articleIndex = array_search($articleChoice, $article);
}
else
{
$articleChoice = $article[$articleIndex];
}

Thanks for your help.

OhLordy

It's really just about writing your code so it's easy to see what's going on. I do it like this, but this is just my preference and by no means a rule

<?php
function aFunction()
{
  //with a function I put the { on the next line 
  //not indeted
  for($i=0;$i<$i+1;$i++) {
    //for contitionals and loops I place the { 
    //on the same line just after (one space)
  }
  if(true) {
    //then with elses I do them like this
  } else {
    //but that's just me
  }
  return;
}
?>

There a nice thread on it here

kyama

Thanks OhLordy, I like your style. It makes it a lot easyer when useing functions, very quick to see the start and finish.

I sometime get lost trying to work out if I have ended all my code properly when i'm bug tracking, so this will help a lot.

Thanks also for pointing me to the other thread. It really does seem to be a personal preference by most coders.

travelbuff

kyama - I am a beginner to and I code like OhLordy. One thing I would add though, is that I have had enough problems not closing out conditional and other control structures that I know comment the hell out of my code.

Example:

//check and see if the ArticleIndex has been viewed.
if (!$articleIndex) {
//it has not, so show it
$articleIndex = array_search($articleChoice, $article);
} else { //else for checking if index has been viewed
//it has, retrieve the article
$articleChoice = $article[$articleIndex];
} //end else checking if index has been viewed

I know it seems like overkill on that simple example, but some scripts I work on have many nested conditionals, and it can get confusing if you need to go back and change things around or if you are getting unexpected parse errors....

kyama

Hi Mark,

That's very good advise, and I'll be taking it on with my codeing from now on.

I spend to much time trying to remember what a a piece of code was ment to do, so I will start commenting a lot more.

I use to think only nanna coders used lots of comments cause they couldn't remember what day it was, but I realise now that only good coders use lots of comments.

Cheers