oliverdavies.uk/content/node.2be6f96b-eecb-4205-9ca9-b364196535ab.json

{
    "uuid": [
        {
            "value": "2be6f96b-eecb-4205-9ca9-b364196535ab"
        }
    ],
    "langcode": [
        {
            "value": "en"
        }
    ],
    "type": [
        {
            "target_id": "daily_email",
            "target_type": "node_type",
            "target_uuid": "8bde1f2f-eef9-4f2d-ae9c-96921f8193d7"
        }
    ],
    "revision_timestamp": [
        {
            "value": "2025-05-11T09:00:22+00:00"
        }
    ],
    "revision_uid": [
        {
            "target_type": "user",
            "target_uuid": "b8966985-d4b2-42a7-a319-2e94ccfbb849"
        }
    ],
    "revision_log": [],
    "status": [
        {
            "value": true
        }
    ],
    "uid": [
        {
            "target_type": "user",
            "target_uuid": "b8966985-d4b2-42a7-a319-2e94ccfbb849"
        }
    ],
    "title": [
        {
            "value": "Is zero unlimited?"
        }
    ],
    "created": [
        {
            "value": "2024-01-18T00:00:00+00:00"
        }
    ],
    "changed": [
        {
            "value": "2025-05-11T09:00:22+00:00"
        }
    ],
    "promote": [
        {
            "value": false
        }
    ],
    "sticky": [
        {
            "value": false
        }
    ],
    "default_langcode": [
        {
            "value": true
        }
    ],
    "revision_translation_affected": [
        {
            "value": true
        }
    ],
    "path": [
        {
            "alias": "\/daily\/2024\/01\/18\/is-zero-unlimited",
            "langcode": "en"
        }
    ],
    "body": [
        {
            "value": "\n          <p>Something I've seen in code is the unclear use of zero when adding limits, such as loading items from a database.<\/p>\n\n<p>In some instances, setting zero will return all items - essentially, an 'unlimited' value in disguise - rather than returning no results, which is what I'd expect.<\/p>\n\n<p>I imagine the code looks something like this:<\/p>\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-php\">if ($limit &gt; 0) {\n  $query-&gt;range(0, $limit);\n}\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n<p>If <code>$limit<\/code> is greater than one, add it to the query.<\/p>\n\n<p>For me, using <code>0<\/code> as the unlimited value doesn't seem like the best option.<\/p>\n\n<p>I'd prefer to use a <code>null<\/code> value as the default and only add the limit if it's set - i.e. an integer or not null.<\/p>\n\n<p>It means the value could be either an integer or null, but I think the intent of the code is more explicit.<\/p>\n\n<p>This would make the code look like this:<\/p>\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-php\">if (is_int($limit)) {\n  $query-&gt;range(0, $limit);\n}\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n<p>Whilst this is clearer, it doesn't cover all use cases.<\/p>\n\n<p>Presumably, the limit should only be a positive integer.<\/p>\n\n<p>It wouldn't make sense to set a negative number as the limit or, as the unlimited value is <code>null<\/code>, setting it to zero.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the end code I'd likely write:<\/p>\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-php\">if (is_int($limit)) {\n  if ($limit &lt; 1) {\n    throw new InvalidArgumentException('A limit must be a positive integer.');\n  }\n\n  $query-&gt;range(0, $limit);\n}\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n<p>If the limit is not an integer, nothing happens.<\/p>\n\n<p>It throws an Exception if the value is invalid - i.e. less than one.<\/p>\n\n<p>The limit is applied if the limit is greater than or equal to one.<\/p>\n\n<p>While it's more complex as there are more checks to perform and different types in use, I think this is clearer and easier for someone reading or implementing the code to understand what it does and use it correctly.<\/p>\n\n        ",
            "format": "full_html",
            "processed": "\n          <p>Something I've seen in code is the unclear use of zero when adding limits, such as loading items from a database.<\/p>\n\n<p>In some instances, setting zero will return all items - essentially, an 'unlimited' value in disguise - rather than returning no results, which is what I'd expect.<\/p>\n\n<p>I imagine the code looks something like this:<\/p>\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-php\">if ($limit &gt; 0) {\n  $query-&gt;range(0, $limit);\n}\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n<p>If <code>$limit<\/code> is greater than one, add it to the query.<\/p>\n\n<p>For me, using <code>0<\/code> as the unlimited value doesn't seem like the best option.<\/p>\n\n<p>I'd prefer to use a <code>null<\/code> value as the default and only add the limit if it's set - i.e. an integer or not null.<\/p>\n\n<p>It means the value could be either an integer or null, but I think the intent of the code is more explicit.<\/p>\n\n<p>This would make the code look like this:<\/p>\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-php\">if (is_int($limit)) {\n  $query-&gt;range(0, $limit);\n}\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n<p>Whilst this is clearer, it doesn't cover all use cases.<\/p>\n\n<p>Presumably, the limit should only be a positive integer.<\/p>\n\n<p>It wouldn't make sense to set a negative number as the limit or, as the unlimited value is <code>null<\/code>, setting it to zero.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is the end code I'd likely write:<\/p>\n\n<pre><code class=\"language-php\">if (is_int($limit)) {\n  if ($limit &lt; 1) {\n    throw new InvalidArgumentException('A limit must be a positive integer.');\n  }\n\n  $query-&gt;range(0, $limit);\n}\n<\/code><\/pre>\n\n<p>If the limit is not an integer, nothing happens.<\/p>\n\n<p>It throws an Exception if the value is invalid - i.e. less than one.<\/p>\n\n<p>The limit is applied if the limit is greater than or equal to one.<\/p>\n\n<p>While it's more complex as there are more checks to perform and different types in use, I think this is clearer and easier for someone reading or implementing the code to understand what it does and use it correctly.<\/p>\n\n        ",
            "summary": null
        }
    ]
}