Run only if string value is not set, is running every time

Question

I am trying to run a block of code only if the varaibles are not valid strings (length > 0, and not undefined). Based on this SO post I think Im doing it right, but this runs every time. What am I doing wrong here?

    if (creep.memory.sourceid ||creep.memory.depositLoc||creep.memory.sourceType)
    {
        creep.memory.sourceid = getSourceMinWorkers(creep);
        creep.memory.sourceType='energy';
creep.memory.depositLoc=getClosestDepositLoc(creep.memory.sourceid,creep.memory.sourceType);
        console.log(creep.name," harvesting ",creep.memory.sourceType," at: ",creep.memory.sourceid," depositing at: ",creep.memory.depositLoc);
    }

output of console.log:

H1_1  harvesting  energy  at:  81a61f68f5eb4057223b05b2  depositing at:  a7633d25d9058f616ab8a0f3
H1_1  harvesting  energy  at:  1649baad43f736c9fc13d2ad  depositing at:  a7633d25d9058f616ab8a0f3

Have you tried logging out `creep.memory.sourceid` etc. as soon as you enter the `if` block? At least one of those values must be truthy (not `false`, `undefined`, `null`, or an empty string). You can [easily verify this for yourself.](https://jsfiddle.net/ohnyfyxq/) — Mike Cluck, May 24 '17 at 16:54
You can create a more simple example to get to the bottom of this. Your specific game code is not important to the task. — sheriffderek, May 24 '17 at 16:54
@sheriffderek Their code seems pretty simple to me. What they're missing is information about what those three values truly are. — Mike Cluck, May 24 '17 at 16:56
I just think for the best outcome - something that is simplified is best - also for other people in the future - something like this: https://jsfiddle.net/sheriffderek/d31mj4Lu/ - also, we don't have context for where this is happening in a function. — sheriffderek, May 24 '17 at 17:03
@sheriffderek Simpler may be better but their code is definitely simple enough. Where it's happening doesn't really matter. It's a matter of what values each property contains and which boolean operators are used. — Mike Cluck, May 24 '17 at 17:09

Jorge Fuentes González · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-24T17:06:01.150

You are checking with a OR (||) operator. That means that the conditional will run if either of the conditionals is true (non-empty in case of strings).

You have this conditional:

if (creep.memory.sourceid || creep.memory.depositLoc || creep.memory.sourceType) {

It means that if creep.memory.sourceid is set OR creep.memory.depositLoc is set OR creep.memory.sourceType is set, it will run.

I see that you are logging the 3 variables with this line:

console.log(creep.name," harvesting ",creep.memory.sourceType," at: ",creep.memory.sourceid," depositing at: ",creep.memory.depositLoc);

The data is logged each time the block is ran, and I see that the 3 parameters are non-empty strings, so the code is working as expected.

By your code, I think that the expectation is to run the code only if 2 parameters are set but there's no location, so you have to switch your OR operators to AND (&&), which will pass if ALL 3 conditionals are true. Also you will have to check if the location is empty, like this:

if (creep.memory.sourceid && !creep.memory.depositLoc && creep.memory.sourceType) {
//    Notice the exclamation ^ up there

This way the code block will be ran if there's a source id AND if DON'T(!) has a deposit location AND if has a source type. Notice the exclamation before the location parameter. This means that is the negation of the value.

Run only if string value is not set, is running every time

1 Answers1