Q: Why do some people write if(0 == x) instead of if(x == 0)?
A: It's a trick to guard against the common error of writing
if(x = 0)If you're in the habit of writing the constant before the ==, the compiler will complain if you accidentally type
if(0 = x)Evidently it can be easier for some people to remember to reverse the test than to remember to type the doubled = sign. (To be sure, accidentally using = instead of == is a typo which even the most experienced C programmer can make.)
On the other hand, some people find these reversed tests ugly or distracting, and argue that a compiler should warn about if(x = 0). (In fact, many compilers do warn about assignments in conditionals, though you can always write if((x = expression)) or if((x = expression) != 0) if you really mean it.)
References:
H&S Sec. 7.6.5 pp. 209-10
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