9fans archive / 2008 / 04 / 346 /    prev next

From: erik quanstrom <quanstro@qua...>
Subject: Re: [9fans] ftpfs ahould not expose "." and ".." directories
Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 10:12:35 -0400

>> similarly, it is usually
>> 	if(p != nil)
>> 		...
>> not
>> 	if(!p)
> 
> ha ha. sorry i meant
> 	if(p == nil)
> not
> 	if(!p)

personal opinion here.

while i appreciate the sentiment behind nil, it breaks
down for me around the edges.  zero is the one value that
can be assigned to anything.  i think the c standard
thinks about zero like andy worhol thinks about coke.

	you know that
	pointers can be zero
	and integers can be zero
	your ptr can be zero, too.
	a zero is a zero and
	no amount of casting about
	will get you a better zero.

(all things being equal, i'd rather have a coke than a zero,
but i digress....)

what it does get you is longer lines, which many folk still wrap
at 80 characters.  and all things being equal, i find unwrapped
lines easier to read.

- erik