From: swille <sillewille@...>
Date: 2005-11-07T11:45:38+09:00
Subject: programming best practices

I have a couple of standard programming questions.  The first is that
I often like to return true or false in a method when no other return
value is really needed.  Is that bad form?  I was talking to someone
the other day who said said something that made me think that maybe it
was.  For example:

def login()
    rc = false
    begin
         perform action
    rescue
        rc = false
        some error
    end

    return rc
end

I like that because it reads well when you use it

if login
    do_stuff
else
    complain
end

My second question is this.  I occasionally see stuff like
if -1 == result

rather than
if result == -1

What, if any, is the benefit of one over the other?

Thanks