My t_head t_hurts from t_looking at t_this t_code

May 8, 2007

While working on one of our legacy products today, I ran head first into this code:

  Set cl_list = Cobj_LOR_CLAUSE.Contents
  For t_int = cl_list.Count - 1 To 0 Step -1
    Set cl_rec = cl_list.ItemByIndex(t_int)
    If cl_rec.GetField("parameterized") = 1 Then
       t_str = "XYZZYParamXYZZY#" & Trim$(Str$(t_int))
       t_pos = 1
       While t_pos > 0
          t_pos = Instr(sql_stmt, t_str)
          If t_pos > 0 Then
             If Left$(cl_rec.GetField("operation"), 3) = "is " And _
                Instr(cl_rec.GetField("operation"), "equal") <= 0 Then
                new_val = fix_up_is_in(cl_rec.GetField("value"), _
                              Mid$(sql_stmt, t_pos - 1, 1) = "'")
             Else
                If cl_rec.GetField("operation") = "within last (days)" Then
                   t_date2 = App.CurrentDate
                   t_date = CStr(DateAdd("d", -1 * CInt(cl_rec.GetField("value")), CDate(t_date2)))
                   t_pos2 = Instr(t_pos + 1, sql_stmt, t_str)
                   sql_stmt = Left$(sql_stmt, t_pos - 1) & t_date & _
                                Mid$(sql_stmt, t_pos + Len(t_str), _
                                t_pos2 - t_pos - Len(t_str)) & t_date2 & _
                                Mid$(sql_stmt, t_pos2 + Len(t_str), _
                                Len(sql_stmt) - t_pos2 - Len(t_str) + 1)
                   Goto next_param
                Else
                   If cl_rec.GetField("operation") = "within last (hours)" Then
                      t_date2 = App.CurrentDate
                      t_date = CStr(DateAdd("h", -1 * CInt(cl_rec.GetField("value")),
CDate(t_date2)))
                      t_pos2 = Instr(t_pos + 1, sql_stmt, t_str)
                      sql_stmt = Left$(sql_stmt, t_pos - 1) & t_date & _
                                   Mid$(sql_stmt, t_pos + Len(t_str), _
                                   t_pos2 - t_pos - Len(t_str)) & t_date2 & _
                                   Mid$(sql_stmt, t_pos2 + Len(t_str), _
                                   Len(sql_stmt) - t_pos2 - Len(t_str) + 1)
                      Goto next_param
                   Else
                      new_val = cl_rec.GetField("value")
                   End If
                End If
             End If
             sql_stmt = Left$(sql_stmt, t_pos - 1) & new_val & _
                        Mid$(sql_stmt, t_pos + Len(t_str), _
                             Len(sql_stmt) - t_pos - Len(t_str) + 1)
          End If
next_param:
       Wend
    End If
  Next t_int

Holy string manipulation, Batman!

 

Martin Fowler says it well:

“Any fool can write code that a computer can understand. Good programmers write code that humans can understand.”