Re: [PHP] Detect and Redirect Mobile Users

Ford, Mike <[email protected]> wrote:
> (someone else wrote:)
> > $browser = get_browser(null, TRUE);
> > if (isset($browser['ismobiledevice']) && ($browser['ismobiledevice'] == TRUE)) {
> >     $isMobile = TRUE;
> > }
> > else {
> >      = FALSE;

Mike's remarks below notwithstanding, I think something fell off here.

> > }
> > unset($browser);
> 
> Argh!, Argh!, Argh! -- two of my pet hates in one snippet!

Tell us how you really feel, Mike. :))

> Comparing something ==TRUE is almost always unnecessary, and
> absolutely always when it's used as an element of a Boolean
> expression: if x evaluates to TRUE, x==TRUE is also TRUE, and if it
> evaluates to FALSE x==TRUE is also FALSE, so the comparison is
> unnecessary, redundant and wasteful. Just use x.

The only time I'd be looking at whether content of $somearray['somekey']
== TRUE is when it's possible that it may contain something other than
TRUE or FALSE, and somehow my code *cares* whether it does. In this
case, we do not, your rant holds.

> And why use an if test on a Boolean value to see if it's TRUE or
> FALSE, just so you can assign TRUE or FALSE?? Since the thing you're
> testing has the value you want in the first place, just flipping
> assign it!

This is most egregious.

>   $isMobile = isset($browser['ismobiledevice']) && $browser['ismobiledevice'];

This would even be a case where I'd opt for:

    $isMobile = @$browser['ismobiledevice'];

since if it *isn't* set, it's still falsy, with the rather strong caveat
of don't use @ indiscriminantly.

> </rant>

Cheers!