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0 pointsr347mo ago0 comments

Your version includes 4 variables. Pipes don't create those intermediate variables, so they are more memory efficient.

Readability is mostly matter of habit. One reads easily what he/she is used to read.

0 comments

It's true that pipes are more readable, and for many cases they will be the better option, but the example of nested functions just doesn't hold.

That's like saying someone would use this:

   $result = $arr |> fn($x) => array_column($x, 'tags') |> fn($x) => array_merge(...$x) |> array_unique(...) |> array_values(...)

which is harder to reason about than the nested functions.

   array_values( array_unique( array_merge( ...array_column($arr, 'tags') ) ) );

   array_values(
     array_unique(
       array_merge(
         ...array_column($arr, 'tags')
       )
     )
   );

navalino7mo ago

It is more readable and better option — you have to parse it from the innermost function to the outermost just to understand what it's doing. With the pipe, it's more straightforward: you read it step by step — do this, then that, then the next — just like how you'd naturally read instructions.

troupo7mo ago

Why didn't you format the pipes, too?

  $result = $arr
    |> fn($x) => array_column($x, 'tags')
    |> fn($x) => array_merge(...$x)
    |> array_unique(...)
    |> array_values(...)

   array_values(
     array_unique(
       array_merge(
         ...array_column($arr, 'tags')
       )
     )
   );

With pipes you have linear sequence of data transformations. With nested function calls you have to start with innermost function and proceed all the way top the outermost layer.

qwertox7mo ago

Because they were already formatted that way to begin with.

account427mo ago

The pipe syntax is much more readable than nested function calls when you need additional arguments for intermediate functions. With nested functions it becomes hard to see which functions those arguments belong to even if you try to help it with formatting.

girvo7mo ago

> so they are more memory efficient

They can be. It depends on the language, interpreter, compiler, and whether you do anything with those intermediate variables and the optimiser can get rid of them.

r34OP7mo ago

I thought we are talking about PHP8.5:)

girvo7mo ago

Ah, I thought we were talking more generally about PL constructs that let you avoid intermediate variables, apologies :)

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

0 comments

qwertox7mo ago

It's true that pipes are more readable, and for many cases they will be the better option, but the example of nested functions just doesn't hold.

That's like saying someone would use this:

   $result = $arr |> fn($x) => array_column($x, 'tags') |> fn($x) => array_merge(...$x) |> array_unique(...) |> array_values(...)

which is harder to reason about than the nested functions.

   array_values( array_unique( array_merge( ...array_column($arr, 'tags') ) ) );

   array_values(
     array_unique(
       array_merge(
         ...array_column($arr, 'tags')
       )
     )
   );

navalino7mo ago

troupo7mo ago

Why didn't you format the pipes, too?

  $result = $arr
    |> fn($x) => array_column($x, 'tags')
    |> fn($x) => array_merge(...$x)
    |> array_unique(...)
    |> array_values(...)

   array_values(
     array_unique(
       array_merge(
         ...array_column($arr, 'tags')
       )
     )
   );

With pipes you have linear sequence of data transformations. With nested function calls you have to start with innermost function and proceed all the way top the outermost layer.

qwertox7mo ago

Because they were already formatted that way to begin with.

account427mo ago

girvo7mo ago

> so they are more memory efficient

They can be. It depends on the language, interpreter, compiler, and whether you do anything with those intermediate variables and the optimiser can get rid of them.

r34OP7mo ago

I thought we are talking about PHP8.5:)

girvo7mo ago

Ah, I thought we were talking more generally about PL constructs that let you avoid intermediate variables, apologies :)

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse