Bug #18415 for PPI: PPI::Node::find returning empty string?

# Tue Mar 28 14:00:22 2006 Guest - Ticket created

Subject:	PPI::Node::find returning empty string?
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This is borderline wishlist, but... Although I can see the virtue in having PPI::Node::find's value being a valid boolean when used in such a context, it was not my first expectation. I had to look up the function documentation to find out why it was returning an empty string. My expectation was that it would instead return a reference to the empty list if there were no results matching the search criteria; I think that would be a more common intuitive expectation. I realize it probably isn't something that can be changed at this point, and that you might not want to anyway, but that it was at least worth speaking up about.

# Thu Sep 21 10:14:43 2006 cpan [...] clotho.com - Correspondence added

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On Tue Mar 28 14:00:22 2006, guest wrote: Show quoted text

> This is borderline wishlist, but... > > Although I can see the virtue in having PPI::Node::find's value being > a valid boolean when used in such a context, it was not my first > expectation. I had to look up the function documentation to find out > why it was returning an empty string. > > My expectation was that it would instead return a reference to the > empty list if there were no results matching the search criteria; I > think that would be a more common intuitive expectation. > > I realize it probably isn't something that can be changed at this > point, and that you might not want to anyway, but that it was at least > worth speaking up about.

While I have also found that behavior confusing, I think it's too late to change this behavior. Perl::Critic relies on it. I suggest that this bug be rejected. -- Chris

# Thu Sep 21 10:14:44 2006 The RT System itself - Status changed from 'new' to 'open'

# Fri Sep 22 00:13:16 2006 adamk [...] cpan.org - Correspondence added

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Well, when I added it in the first place, it was done to allow expressions like. my $things = $document->find(...) or die "Failed to find expected whatever"; And I agree it's probably too late to fix it now. Resolving WONTFIX

# Fri Sep 22 00:13:17 2006 adamk [...] cpan.org - Status changed from 'open' to 'resolved'

Bug #18415 for PPI: PPI::Node::find returning empty string?

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