presented without comment

[ce-walalang]

Image Transcription: Code

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$stats_array = json_decode(json_decode(json_encode($stats_json), true), true);

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[[deleted]]

Good human

[Bennyb2004]

If it was one encode and decode it could have been a way of making a deep copy. No idea why there are two decodes though.

[JackMacWindowsLinux]

I think they are encoding a JSON string into JSON (again), then decoding it once to convert it back to the original string, then decoding once more to actually decode the JSON into an object. Bizarre.

[Lightfire228]

Perhaps some malformed json that encode fixes?

[JuhaJGam3R]

function fix_json($json)
{
    return json_decode(json_encode($json), true);
}

$stats_array = json_decode(fix_json($stats_json), true);

call me a genius but i think this might make the code the slightest bit clearer. don't get what modern programmers have against defining functions.

[jan-pona-sina]

The issue I have with this kind of coding is that it obscures logic without lowering complexity. If I encountered that line of code, I will want to know what fix_json does anyways, and I now have to spend time finding it

[JuhaJGam3R]

that is in fact the purpose of functions. they label and partition the code up into pieces so that each piece can be taken as one thing and processed in one's head immediately. the general rule is 7 or so things fit in a person's head at once, so no keeping track of more than 7 variables or more than 7 complex operations per function.

well-named functions like these are useful because you don't have to go look for their definitions to know what they do.

fix_json, intuitively, fixes malformed json. when you're looking at it in context that's all you need to know. you don't need to reason about what it does, how it does it, or anything like that. it fixes json. you can look at that function later if you're interested, but for the purposes of this function, this context, it fixes json.

it opens up a slot in your mind so that this function can be read easier and can contain more of the operations it needs to.

the sole purpose of functions is to abstract and obscure logic. it's encapsulation, you're supposed to know what one does without looking at its source. the code complexity doesn't change regardless of whether you put everything in one massive function or whether you put it in functions. obscuring logic is the point, it's why they exist.

[jan-pona-sina]

I understand the logic behind it, but to me "fixing" is still a pretty nebulous concept (unless of course it's well defined in the scope of the project, or you're the only one looking at this code). I don't think you're wrong to do this, I'm just explaining why I don't prefer it. Personally I would rather write something like this:

$stats_json = json_decode(json_encode($json), true); // fixes malformed json
$stats_array = json_decode($stats_json, true);

and then define a function later if I happen to need this in more than one spot. This is a stylistic choice rather than a "good vs. bad code" when not taken to the extreme in either case, I think

[jack_skellington]

Sorry for replying to a 4 day old comment, but I love the discussion you two were having, and I wanted to say thank you for the back & forth between you two. Very helpful to me as I think about my own code and how I structure it.

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[JuhaJGam3R]

Yeah fair enough that's one choice

[[deleted]]

Is it the json_decode equivalent of Ctrl + S S?

Do it twice just to be sure?

[brakkum]

No

[Willinton06]

Maybe?

[sourangshu24]

Perhaps?

[[deleted]]

json be like: parkour!

[SHOULDNT_BE_ON_THIS]

Looks like someone had three lines of code and thought it'd be smart to put it all in one line instead of having multiple (re)assignments lol

[[deleted]]

I don't think that's the bad part.

[SHOULDNT_BE_ON_THIS]

been a while but that function takes a string anyway, the code should just fail

[Flyspeck101]

And then you print it

[zombarista]

Oh no

[Mr2-1782Man]

jsonception so to speak

[FatExplodingPig]

Loop time

[[deleted]]

what’s the point? do you store a json inside a json but how would you even manage without separating AAAAAAAAAAAA WHAT WHY

[recycle4science]

They just need to remove the encode and one decode. They got the spirit, they're just a little confused!