What if I am fine with receiving the error message 'Cannot read property **** of undefined'?

Here is some code that I am working with:

$scope.query.toLowerCase() != 1

When the query is not defined, an error appears in the console. Surprisingly, the code still functions as intended despite this error. What is the best way to handle this situation? One option is to proactively check for the variable before running the code, but this would only add more lines of code without clear benefits in terms of avoiding errors by increasing code complexity.

Answer №1

It's possible to anticipate checking the variable, but that might result in adding more lines of code.

Adding extra code doesn't necessarily mean your code is bad, unless you're participating in a code golf competition. Neglecting to handle errors and edge cases can lead to an unreliable program. If an error occurs, it could cause your code to abruptly terminate.

One way to address potential undefined properties is by assigning a default value instead of simply checking if it's undefined.

($scope.query || "").toLowerCase() != 1       // this adjustment should resolve the issue

or in a more formal manner

($scope.query === undefined ? "" : $scope.query).toLowerCase() != 1

Of course, the approach you take depends on your specific needs.

As an example:

function add(a, b){
    return a + (b || 0);  // treats falsy values as 0 for b
}

add(1, 2);   // 3
add(1);      // 1

Shortcircuiting can be advantageous in certain scenarios, but it's important to fully understand how it operates to prevent unexpected outcomes from misuse.

Answer №2

It is not recommended to use...

try {
    $scope.query.toLowerCase() != 1
} catch(e) {
    // do nothing
}

because this can hide errors, making it challenging to debug unexpected issues that may arise.

The best practice is to include additional defensive code to prevent potential errors from occurring. While this may increase the amount of code written, it is more beneficial than dealing with a complex debugging process later on.

Answer №3

Typically, I delegate this task to a small assistant:

function convertToString(val){ return val == null ? "" : String(val) }

This method ensures that the output is always a string for type-safety.

convertToString($scope.query).toLowerCase() != 1

For this specific scenario, you are comparing against a number, so there is no need for toLowerCase().

+ $scope.query !== 1

It would be more efficient in this case; and no need to handle null or undefined values.

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