Negating the result of
compareTo/compare may have unexpected results JAVA-W1048
Anti-pattern
Major
5 months ago
—
5 months old
Avoid negating the result of compareTo
39 itemStacks.sort((itemStack1, itemStack2) -> {
40 int c = Integer.compare(itemStack1.getType().ordinal(), itemStack2.getType().ordinal());
41 if (c == 0) {
42 c = -Integer.compare(itemStack1.getAmount(), itemStack2.getAmount());43 }
44 return c;
45 });
Description
This code negates the return value of a compareTo or compare method. Avoid doing so, as it is both confusing and may lead to unexpected behavior.
This is a questionable or bad programming practice, since if the return value is Integer.MIN_VALUE, negating the return value won't negate the sign of the result. Additionally, such code may confuse anybody who reads it.
Bad Practice
Avoid negating the result of compareTo or any compare method.
if (-a.compareTo(b) > 0) {
// ...
}
Recommended
Perform the intended operation directly, either by changing the operator, or reversing the order of the operands.
if (a.compareTo(b) < 0) {
// ...
}