CodeSOD: A Form of Reuse

Writing code that is reusable is an important part of software development. In a way, we're not simply solving the problem at hand, but we're building tools we can use to solve similar problems in the future. Now, that's also a risk: premature abstraction is its own source of WTFs.

Daniel's peer wrote some JavaScript which is used for manipulating form inputs on customer contact forms. You know the sorts of forms: give us your full name, phone number, company name, email, and someone from our team will be in touch. This developer wrote the script, and offered it to clients to enhance their forms. Well, there was one problem: this script would get embedded in customer contact forms, but not all customer contact forms use the same conventions for how they name their fields.

There's an easy solution for that, involving parameterizing the code or adding a configuration step. There's a hard solution, where you build a heuristic that works for most forms. Then there's this solution, which... well.... Let me present the logic for handling just one field type, unredacted or elided.

for(llelementlooper=0; llelementlooper<document.forms[llformlooper2].elements.length; llelementlooper++) { var llelementphone = (document.forms[llformlooper2].elements[llelementlooper].name) if ( llformphone == '' && ((llelementphone=='phone') || (llelementphone=='Phone') || (llelementphone=='phone') || (llelementphone=='mobilephone') || (llelementphone=='PHONE') || (llelementphone=='sPhone') || (llelementphone=='strPhone') || (llelementphone=='Telephone') || (llelementphone=='telephone') || (llelementphone=='tel') || (llelementphone=='si_contact_ex_field6') || (llelementphone=='phonenumber') || (llelementphone=='phone_number') || (llelementphone=='phoneTextBox') || (llelementphone=='PhoneNumber_num_25_1') || (llelementphone=='Telefone') || (llelementphone=='Contact Phone') || (llelementphone=='submitted[row_3][phone]') || (llelementphone=='edit-profile-phone') || (llelementphone=='contactTelephone') || (llelementphone=='f4') || (llelementphone=='Contact-Phone') || (llelementphone=='formItem_239') || (llelementphone=='phone_r') || (llelementphone=='PhoneNo') || (llelementphone=='LeadGen_ContactForm_98494_m0:Phone') || (llelementphone=='telefono') || (llelementphone=='ntelephone') || (llelementphone=='wtelephone') || (llelementphone=='watelephone') || (llelementphone=='form[telefoon]') || (llelementphone=='phone_work') || (llelementphone=='telephone-number') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$HeaderText$ctl00$PhoneText') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$ctl00$cphMain$cphInsideMain$widget1$ctl00$viewBiz$ctl00$phone$textbox') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$ctl00$ContentPlaceHolderBase$ContentPlaceHolderSideMenu$TextBoxPhone') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$SPWebPartManager1$g_c8bd31c3_e338_41df_bdbe_021242ca01c8$ctl01$ctl06$txtTextbox') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$ctl00$ctl00$ContentPlaceHolderDefault$MasterContentPlaceHolder$txtPhone') || (llelementphone=='curftelephone') || (llelementphone=='form[Telephone]') || (llelementphone=='tx_pilmailform_pi1[text][phone]') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$ctl00$templateMainContent$homeBanners$HomeBannerList$ctrLeads$txt_5_1') || (llelementphone=='ac_daytimeNumber') || (llelementphone=='daytime_phone') || (llelementphone=='r4') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$ContentPlaceHolderBody$Phone') || (llelementphone=='Fld10_label') || (llelementphone=='field333') || (llelementphone=='txtMobile') || (llelementphone=='form_nominator_phonenumber') || (llelementphone=='submitted[phone_no]') || (llelementphone=='submitted[phone]') || (llelementphone=='submitted[5]') || (llelementphone=='submitted[telephone_no]') || (llelementphone=='fields[Contact Phone]') || (llelementphone=='cf2_field_5') || (llelementphone=='a23786') || (llelementphone=='rpr_phone') || (llelementphone=='phone-number') || (llelementphone=='txt_homePhone') || (llelementphone=='your-number') || (llelementphone=='Contact_Phone') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$CPH_body$txtContactnumber') || (llelementphone=='profile_telephone') || (llelementphone=='item_meta[90]' && llfrmid==11823) || (llelementphone=='item_meta[181]' && llfrmid==26416) || (llelementphone=='input_4' && llfrmid==21452) || (llelementphone=='EditableTextField100' && llfrmid==13948) || (llelementphone=='EditableTextField205' && llfrmid==13948) || (llelementphone=='EditableTextField100' && llfrmid==13948) || (llelementphone=='EditableTextField166' && llfrmid==13948) || (llelementphone=='EditableTextField104' && llfrmid==13948) || (llelementphone=='cf2_field_4' && llfrmid==23878) || (llelementphone=='input_4' && llfrmid==24017) || (llelementphone=='cf_field_4' && llfrmid==15876) || (llelementphone=='cf5_field_5' && llfrmid==15876) || (llelementphone=='input_9' && llfrmid==17254) || (llelementphone=='input_2' && llfrmid==22954) || (llelementphone=='input_8' && llfrmid==23756) || (llelementphone=='input_3' && llfrmid==18793) || (llelementphone=='input_6' && llfrmid==24811) || (llelementphone=='input_3' && llfrmid==19880) || (llelementphone=='input_6' && llfrmid==19230) || (llelementphone=='input_3' && llfrmid==24747) || (llelementphone=='input_4' && llfrmid==25897) || (llelementphone=='text-481' && llfrmid==14451) || (llelementphone=='Form7111$formField_7576') || (llelementphone=='Form7168$formField_7673') || (llelementphone=='Form7116$formField_7592') || (llelementphone=='Form7150$formField_7645') || (llelementphone=='Form7153$formField_7655') || (llelementphone=='Form7119$formField_7600') || (llelementphone=='Form7123$formField_7608') || (llelementphone=='Form7161$formField_7665') || (llelementphone=='Form7176$formField_7690') || (llelementphone=='Form7172$formField_7681') || (llelementphone=='Form7113$formField_7584') || (llelementphone=='Form7106$formField_7568') || (llelementphone=='Form7111$formField_7576') || (llelementphone=='Form7136$formField_7628') || (llelementphone=='Form6482$formField_7621') || (llelementphone=='Form6548$formField_6988') || (llelementphone=='submitted[business_phone]') || (llelementphone=='tfa_3' && llfrmid==23388) || (llelementphone=='ContentObjectAttribute_ezsurvey_answer_4455_3633') || (llelementphone=='838ae21c-1f95-488f-a511-135a588a50fb_Phone') || (llelementphone=='plc$lt$zoneContent$pageplaceholder$pageplaceholder$lt$zoneRightContent$contentText$BizFormControl1$Bizform1$ctl00$Telephone$txt1st') || (llelementphone=='plc$lt$zoneContent$pageplaceholder$pageplaceholder$lt$zoneRightContent$contentText$BizFormControl1$Bizform1$ctl00$Telephone') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$ctl00$ctl00$ContentPlaceHolderDefault$ContentAreaPlaceholderMain$ctl02$ContactForm_3$TextBoxTelephone') || (llelementphone=='plc$lt$Content2$pageplaceholder1$pageplaceholder1$lt$Content$BizForm$viewBiz$ctl00$Phone_Number') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$ctl00$ContentPlaceHolder1$cphMainContent$C002$tbTelephone') || (llelementphone=='contact$tbPhoneNumber') || (llelementphone=='crMain$ctl00$txtPhone') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$PrimaryContent$tbPhone') || (llelementphone=='ff_nm_phone[]') || (llelementphone=='q5_phoneNumber5[phone]') || (llelementphone=='TechContactPhone') || (llelementphone=='referral_phone_number') || (llelementphone=='field8418998') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$Content$ctl00$txtPhone') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$PlaceHolderMain$ucContactUs$txtPhone') || (llelementphone=='m_field_id_4' && llfrmid==15091) || (llelementphone=='Field7' && llfrmid==23387) || (llelementphone=='input_4' && llfrmid==22578) || (llelementphone=='input_2' && llfrmid==11241) || (llelementphone=='input_7' && llfrmid==23633) || (llelementphone=='input_7' && llfrmid==22114) || (llelementphone=='input_4' && (llformalyzerURL.indexOf('demo') != -1) && llfrmid==17544) || (llelementphone=='input_4' && (llformalyzerURL.indexOf('contact') != -1) && llfrmid==17544) || (llelementphone=='field_4' && llfrmid==24654) || (llelementphone=='input_6' && llfrmid==24782) || (llelementphone=='input_4' && (llformalyzerURL.indexOf('contact-us') != -1) && llfrmid==16794) || (llelementphone=='input_3' && (llformalyzerURL.indexOf('try-and-buy') != -1) && llfrmid==16794) || (llelementphone=='input_4' && (llformalyzerURL.indexOf('contact-us') != -1) && llfrmid==23842) || (llelementphone=='input_4' && llfrmid==25451) || (llelementphone=='input_5' && llfrmid==24911) || (llelementphone=='input_3' && llfrmid==13417) || (llelementphone=='input_4' && llfrmid==23813) || (llelementphone=='input_4' && llfrmid==21483) || (llelementphone=='input_3' && llfrmid==25396) || (llelementphone=='input_3' && llfrmid==16175) || (llelementphone=='input_7' && llfrmid==25797) || (llelementphone=='input_4' && llfrmid==15650) || (llelementphone=='input_3' && llfrmid==22025) || (llelementphone=='input_3' && llfrmid==14534) || (llelementphone=='input_4' && llfrmid==25216) || (llelementphone=='input_5' && llfrmid==22884) || (llelementphone=='input_6' && llfrmid==25783) || (llelementphone=='text-747' && llfrmid==16324) || (llelementphone=='vfb-42' && llfrmid==24468) || (llelementphone=='vfb-33' && llfrmid==24468) || (llelementphone=='item_meta[57]' && llfrmid==25268) || (llelementphone=='item_meta[78]' && llfrmid==25268) || (llelementphone=='item_meta[85]' && llfrmid==25268) || (llelementphone=='item_meta[154]' && llfrmid==25268) || (llelementphone=='item_meta[220]' && llfrmid==25268) || (llelementphone=='item_meta[240]' && llfrmid==25268) || (llelementphone=='item_meta[286]' && llfrmid==25268) || (llelementphone=='fieldname5' && llfrmid==12535) || (llelementphone=='Question12' && llfrmid==24639) || (llelementphone=='ninja_forms_field_4' && llfrmid==19321) || (llelementphone=='EditableTextField' && llfrmid==15064) || (llelementphone=='form_fields[27]' && llfrmid==22688) || (llelementphone=='ctl00$body$phone') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$MainContent$txtPhone') || (llelementphone=='FreeTrialForm$Phone') || (llelementphone=='text-521ada035aa46') || (llelementphone=='C_BusPhone') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$ctl00$templateMainContent$pageContent$ctrLeads$txt_5_1') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$Modules$ctl00$rptFields$ctl06$1204') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$Modules$ctl00$rptFields$ctl06$1320') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$Modules$ctl00$rptFields$ctl07$1242') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$Modules$ctl00$rptFields$ctl07$1202') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$Modules$ctl00$rptFields$ctl08$1242') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$MainColumnPlaceHolder$uxPhone') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$MainContent$DropZoneTop$columnDisplay$ctl04$controlcolumn$ctl00$WidgetHost$WidgetHost_widget$IDPhone') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$ctl05$txtPhone') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$Modules$ctl00$rptFields$ctl07$1219') || (llelementphone=='LeadGen_ContactForm_33872_m419365:Phone') || (llelementphone=='F02220803') || (llelementphone=='h2c0f') || (llelementphone=='your_phone_number') || (llelementphone=='Question7') || (llelementphone=='Question51') || (llelementphone=='Question59') || (llelementphone=='Question35') || (llelementphone=='Question67') || (llelementphone=='field9740823') || (llelementphone=='message[phone]') || (llelementphone=='dnn$ctr1266$ViewKamakuraRegister$Phone') || (llelementphone=='phone1') || (llelementphone=='inf_field_Phone1') || (llelementphone=='hscontact_phone') || (llelementphone=='data[Contact][phone]') || (llelementphone=='fields[Phone]') || (llelementphone=='contact[PhoneNumber]') || (llelementphone=='phonename3') || (llelementphone=='UserPhone') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$MainBody$txtPhoneTech') || (llelementphone=='Telephone1') || (llelementphone=='PhoneNumber') || (llelementphone=='work_phone') || (llelementphone=='jform[contact_telephone]') || (llelementphone=='form[phone]') || (llelementphone=='RequestAQuote1$txtPhone') || (llelementphone=='06_Phone') || (llelementphone=='txtPhone') || (llelementphone=='field_location[und][0][phone]') || (llelementphone=='your-phone') || (llelementphone=='cmsForms_phone') || (llelementphone=='Txt_phonenumber') || (llelementphone=='businessPhone') || (llelementphone=='boxHomePhone') || (llelementphone=='HomePhone') || (llelementphone=='request-phone') || (llelementphone=='user[phone]') || (llelementphone=='DATA[PHONE]') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$ctl00$ctl00$cphContent$cphContent$cphContent$Phone') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$MainBody$Form1$obj11') || (llelementphone=='LeadGen_ContactForm_90888_m1467651:Phone') || (llelementphone=='Users[work]') || (llelementphone=='Question43') || (llelementphone=='aics_phone') || (llelementphone=='form[workphone]') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$ctl00$ContentPlaceHolder1$cphMainContent$C006$tbTelephone') || (llelementphone=='cntnt01fbrp__47') || (llelementphone=='submitted[phone_number]') || (llelementphone=='flipform_phone') || (llelementphone=='txtPhone') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$ContentPlaceHolder2$txtPhnno') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$ctl00$ContentPlaceHolder1$ContentPlaceHolder1$mainContentRegion$BizFormControl1$Bizform1$ctl00$Phone') || (llelementphone=='inpPhone') || (llelementphone=='j_phone') || (llelementphone=='m6e81afbrp__53') || (llelementphone=='item_meta[119]') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$ContentPlaceHolder_Content$dataPhone') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$generalContentPlaceHolder$ctrlContactUs$tbPhone') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$ctl00$ctl00$ContentPlaceHolderDefault$ContentPlaceHolder1$Contact_6$txtPhone') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$MainContent$tel') || (llelementphone=='dynform_element_3') || (llelementphone=='telephone_1') || (llelementphone=='cf_phone') || (llelementphone=='Lead_PrimaryPhone') || (llelementphone=='p_lt_zoneContent_wP_wP_lt_zonePageWidgets_RevolabsMicrosoftDynamicsCRMContactForm_1_txtBusinessPhone') || (llelementphone=='si_contact_ex_field2') || (llelementphone=='dnn$ctr458$XModPro$ctl00$ctl00$ctl00$Telephone') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$ctl06$txtTelephone') || (llelementphone=='dnn$ctr458$XModPro$ctl00$ctl00$ctl00$Telephone') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$ctl00$mainCopy$CPHCenter$ctl00$QuickRegControl_2$TBPhone') || (llelementphone=='LeadGen_ContactForm_38163_m457931:Phone') || (llelementphone=='LeadGen_ContactForm_29909_m371524:Phone') || (llelementphone=='LeadGen_ContactForm_32343_m395611:Phone') || (llelementphone=='LeadGen_ContactForm_31530_m388101:Phone') || (llelementphone=='LeadGen_ContactForm_27072_m349818:Phone') || (llelementphone=='LeadGen_ContactForm_28362_m354522:Phone') || (llelementphone=='LeadGen_ContactForm_28759_m358745:Phone') || (llelementphone=='LeadGen_ContactForm_32343_m395611:Phone') || (llelementphone=='LeadGen_ContactForm_33631_m415978:Phone') || (llelementphone=='LeadGen_ContactForm_30695_m380436:Phone') || (llelementphone=='LeadGen_ContactForm_29958_m372138:Phone') || (llelementphone=='LeadGen_ContactForm_31471_m387422:Phone') || (llelementphone=='LeadGen_ContactForm_32514_m397613:Phone') || (llelementphone=='LeadGen_ContactForm_29152_m362772:Phone') || (llelementphone=='LeadGen_ContactForm_32540_m397908:Phone') || (llelementphone=='pNumber') || (llelementphone=='organizer_phone') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$PlaceHolderMain$TrialDownloadForm$Phone') || (llelementphone=='ContactSubmission.Phone.Value') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$body$txtPhone') || (llelementphone=='p$lt$ctl03$pageplaceholder$p$lt$zoneCentre$editabletext$ucEditableText$widget1$ctl00$viewBiz$ctl00$Telephone$textbox') || (llelementphone=='ctl01_ctl00_pbForm1_ctl_phone_61f3') || (llelementphone=='ctl01$ctl00$ContentPlaceHolder1$ctl15$Phone') || (llelementphone=='p$lt$zoneContent$pageplaceholder$p$lt$zoneRightContent$contentText$ucEditableText$BizFormControl1$Bizform1$ctl00$Telephone$textbox') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$ctl00$ContentPlaceHolder$ContentPlaceHolder$ctl00$fPhone') || (llelementphone=='pagecolumns_0$form_B502CC1EC1644B38B722523526D45F36$field_6BCFC01A782747DF8E785B5533850EEB') || (llelementphone=='cf3_field_10') || (llelementphone=='r_phone') || (llelementphone=='c_phone') || (llelementphone=='cf-1[]') || (llelementphone=='frm_phone') || (llelementphone=='Patient_Phone_Number') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$PageContent$ctl00$txtPhone') || (llelementphone=='dnn$ctr398$FormMaster$ctl_6e49bedd138a4684a66b62dcb1a34658') || (llelementphone=='id_tel') || (llelementphone=='field_contact_tel[und][0][value]') || (llelementphone=='Phone:') || (llelementphone=='ContactPhone') || (llelementphone=='submitted[telephone]') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$ContentPlaceHolder1$ctl04$txtPhone') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$ContentPlaceHolder_pageContent$contact_phone') || (llelementphone=='264') || (llelementphone=='form_phone_number') || (llelementphone=='field8418998') || (llelementphone=='phoneTBox') || (llelementphone=='pagecontent_1$content_0$contentbottom_0$txtPhone') || (llelementphone=='application_0$PhoneTextBox') || (llelementphone=='submitted[phone_work]') || (llelementphone=='data[Lead][phone]') || (llelementphone=='a4475-telephone') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$Form$txtPhoneNumber') || (llelementphone=='signup_form_data[Phone]') || (llelementphone=='WorkPhone') || (llelementphone=='lldPhone') || (llelementphone=='web_form_1[field_102]value') || (llelementphone=='LeadGen_ContactForm_114694_m1832700:Phone') || (llelementphone=='phoneSalesForm') || (llelementphone=='fund_phone') || (llelementphone=='Phonepi_Phone') || (llelementphone=='field343') || (llelementphone=='cntnt01fbrp__48') || (llelementphone=='contact[phone]') || (llelementphone=='ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_ctl01_contactTelephoneBox_text') || (llelementphone=='ctl01$ctl00$ContentPlaceHolder1$ctl29$Phone') || (llelementphone=='plc$lt$content$pageplaceholder$pageplaceholder$lt$bodyColumnZone$LogilityContactUs$txtWorkPhone') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$ctl00$ctl00$cphBody$cphMain$cphMain$FormBuilder1$FormBuilderListView$ctrl4$FieldControl_Telephone') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$ctl00$ctl00$ContentPlaceHolderDefault$cp_content$ctl02$RenderForm_1$rpFieldsets$ctl00$rpFields$ctl04$126d33a3_9f7f_4583_8c94_5820d58fc030') || (llelementphone=='tx_powermail_pi1[uid1266]') || (llelementphone=='si_contact_ex_field3') || (llelementphone=='inc_contact1$txtPhone') || (llelementphone=='item2_tel_1') || (llelementphone=='LeadGen_ContactForm_15766_m0:Phone') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$ContentPlaceHolder1$txtPhone') || (llelementphone=='Default$Content$FormViewer$FieldsRepeater$ctl04$ctl00$ViewTextBox') || (llelementphone=='Default$Content$FormViewer$FieldsRepeater$ctl04$ctl00$ViewTextBox') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$SecondaryPageContent$C005$ctl00$ctl00$C002$ctl00$ctl00$textBox_write') || (llelementphone=='_u216318653597056311') || (llelementphone=='_u630018292785751084') || (llelementphone=='data[Contact][office_phone]') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$ctl00$cphMainContent$Content$txtPhone') || (llelementphone=='ctl00$ContentPlaceHolder1$txtTel') || (llelementphone=='item_5') || (llelementphone=='ques_21432') || (llelementphone=='phoneNum') || (llelementphone=='CONTACT_PHONE') || (llelementphone=='ff_nm_cf_phonetext[]') || (llelementphone=='WorkPhone') ) ) { llformphone = (document.forms[llformlooper2].elements[llelementlooper].value); if (llfrmid == debugid ) {alert('llformphone:'+llformphone+' llemailfound:'+llemailfound);} }

If the name property of the form element is equal to any one of the many many many items in this list, we can then extract the value and stuff it into a variable. And, since this will almost certainly break all the time, it's got a convenient "set the debugid and I'll spam alerts as I search the form".

Repeat this for every other field. It ends up being almost 2,000 lines of code, just to select the correct fields out of the forms.

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