[erlang-questions] When to return {ok, Value} or just the Value

[Robert Virding]

----- Original Message -----

> You have several alternatives

> f(X) -> Y uses if you know computing f(X) always returns Y for all X

> f(X) -> Y | exit(..) if "most" values of f(X) are valid and you could
> not take care of the
> error case in the caller

> f(X) -> {ok, Y} | {error, Z} if some values of X cause f(X) to fail
> and you want to take care
> of the error in the caller.

> returning {ok, Y} | {error,Z} is a strong signal to the person
> reading the code that the caller will
> do something with *both* return values.

> The caller might just write {ok,Val} = f(X) and not handle the error
> case, but the reader of the
> code will think - "ahh something might go wrong, and this code may
> need to be fixed later."
> it's not just what you write but what will be inferred by the reader.

> Code using {ok, Val} | {error, Why} tends to lead to messy cascades
> of nested cases, so the
> Y | exit(...) code style looks prettier.

Actually, it might "look" prettier in the documentation but it is messier to use. It forces you to do a case to find out if the call worked as there is usually no safe way of checking the return value. I cannot just write {ok,Val} = f(X) to generate an error if it went wrong, but have to write: 

case f(X) of 
{error,Reason} -> error(Reason); 
Val -> Val 
end 

to test if it went wrong. That is why I think lists:keyfind has bad return values, it only works neatly if you know the structure of the returned tuple, the general case becomes as above. 

Otherwise as above. If the function always returns a value or crashes then don't wrap, else if can either return a success value or an exit reason then wrap. 

Robert 

> The entire picture gets complicated sing catch/throw/try etc. so
> there is no "right" answer.

> I guess you should choose be locally consistent in your code - choose
> a convention and stick to it
> in your code and chose the variant that will be easiest to read and
> maintain. If you end up with
> loads of nested cases/trys you might have chosen the wrong
> convention.

> Cheers

> /Joe

> On Sun, Nov 13, 2011 at 1:35 AM, Steve Davis <
> steven.charles.davis@REDACTED > wrote:

> > Is there a rule-of-thumb guidance as to when it is the right "time"
> > to
> 
> > return {ok, Value} and when to return just the raw value.
> 

> > Both are valid approaches according to the coding guidelines. The
> 
> > libraries do both.
> 

> > All and any comments/observations appreciated.
> 

> > best,
> 
> > /s
> 
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