Is it better to use NOT or to use <> when comparing values in VBScript?
is this:
If NOT value1 = value2 Then
or this:
If value1 <> value2 Then
better?
EDIT:
Here is my counterargument.
When looking to logically negate a Boolean value you would use the NOT operator, so this is correct:
If NOT boolValue1 Then
and when a comparison is made in the case of the first example a Boolean value is returned. either the values are equal True, or they are not False. So using the NOT operator would be appropriate, because you are logically negating a Boolean value.
For readability placing the comparison in parenthesis would probably help.
This question is related to
vbscript
Agreed, code readability is very important for others, but more importantly yourself. Imagine how difficult it would be to understand the first example in comparison to the second.
If code takes more than a few seconds to read (understand), perhaps there is a better way to write it. In this case, the second way.
The second example would be the one to go with, not just for readability, but because of the fact that in the first example, If NOT value1 would return a boolean value to be compared against value2. IOW, you need to rewrite that example as
If NOT (value1 = value2)
which just makes the use of the NOT keyword pointless.
The second example would be the one to go with, not just for readability, but because of the fact that in the first example, If NOT value1 would return a boolean value to be compared against value2. IOW, you need to rewrite that example as
If NOT (value1 = value2)
which just makes the use of the NOT keyword pointless.
Agreed, code readability is very important for others, but more importantly yourself. Imagine how difficult it would be to understand the first example in comparison to the second.
If code takes more than a few seconds to read (understand), perhaps there is a better way to write it. In this case, the second way.
Agreed, code readability is very important for others, but more importantly yourself. Imagine how difficult it would be to understand the first example in comparison to the second.
If code takes more than a few seconds to read (understand), perhaps there is a better way to write it. In this case, the second way.
Because "not ... =" is two operations and "<>" is only one, it is faster to use "<>".
Here is a quick experiment to prove it:
StartTime = Timer
For x = 1 to 100000000
If 4 <> 3 Then
End if
Next
WScript.echo Timer-StartTime
StartTime = Timer
For x = 1 to 100000000
If Not (4 = 3) Then
End if
Next
WScript.echo Timer-StartTime
The results I get on my machine:
4.783203
5.552734
Source: Stackoverflow.com