Question

Given this ugly method:

public function convert_cell_value( $val, $type )
{
    if($type == 'String')
    {
        return $val;
    }
    elseif($type == 'Number')
    {
        if($val - intval($val) > 0)
        {
            return $val;
        }
        else
        {
            return intval($val);
        }
    }
    else
    {
        return $val;
    }
}

Now my ten billion $ question is: when i should return values (not in this method but any other like this) to apply the DRY principles and go for performance too. Or: There’s something wrong with my thought about performance and it’s nothing to do with it when i return some value immediately?

Bonus question: Is there a simpler trick to get decimals than this?

if($val - intval($val) > 0)
{
    return $val;
}

Thanks for your precious time,
fabrik

Answer 1

You can simplify your method logic to this:

public function convert_cell_value( $val, $type )
{
    if ($type === 'Number' && ($ret = intval($val)) == $val) {
        return $ret;
    }
    return $val;
}

Or if you want to add more types, use a switch:

public function convert_cell_value( $val, $type )
{
    switch ($type) {
    case 'Number':
        if (($ret = intval($val)) == $val) {
            return $ret;
        }
    case 'String':
    default:
        return $val;
    }
}

You could also use just one return and replace return $ret by $val = $ret to return the right value.